


Love Games

by Hellomoto



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Drunk Lena Luthor, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl...or does she?, Sanvers - Freeform, Slow Burn, SuperCorp, karlena, like - really really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-28 15:19:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10127459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellomoto/pseuds/Hellomoto
Summary: Lena comes up with a plan to help Kara turn Mon-el down without hurting his feelings. But will Lena’s feelings make it through unscathed?Or, this started out as a fake-dating fic, but has since evolved into pure fluff.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, 
> 
> This is my first fic, so constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Lena Luthor is my spirit animal, as will undoubtedly become obvious to you as you read this fic. I hope you like it :)

Lena was sitting at her desk, looking through monthly revenue reports to prepare for a meeting later on that day when she heard a knock on her door. “Come in!” she called, a smile on her face already forming at the thought of having lunch with her favorite reporter.

“Lena, hi!” Kara smiled brightly and Lena’s heart stumbled over itself when she caught sight of her beautiful friend. “Do you still wanna get lunch today?”

“Of course, Kara,” Lena grinned. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head slightly, giving her friend her signature mischievous look. “Let me guess, you’re feeling like…..potstickers?”

Kara blushed, nodding and shrugging her shoulders slightly. “You know me so well!” she giggled.

“Well, come on, then. We can’t keep a hungry woman waiting,” Lena laughed, her coat already in her hands.

It was a beautifully clear day out, so they walked to Kara’s favorite potsticker place, which was conveniently only a block away from Lena’s office. They chatted idly on the way, smiling at each other so often that Lena was sure her face muscles were going to spasm from overuse. She had never smiled this much before meeting Kara “Ray of Sunshine” Danvers.

But something wasn’t quite right. Throughout their conversation, Lena had noticed that Kara was slightly subdued. She was still brighter and more bubbly than any other person would be on a Monday, but every once in a while she would get lost in thought, a crinkle forming between her eyebrows as she frowned slightly.

The took their seats and asked Benny the waiter for their usual - they've eaten here so often in the past few months that the waiters know their names and orders by heart. Finally, Lena couldn’t take it anymore. “Kara, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Kara said, her eyes refocusing on Lena after having once again been lost in thought. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry Lena, I’ve just got something on my mind. It’s really not something I want to bother you with.”

Lena shook her head and gave Kara an inviting smile. “We’re friends, Kara. I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything. Heaven knows I blabber on to you about my problems often enough!”

Kara smiled gratefully at her friend. She blushed, dipping her head as she adjusted her glasses. “Well,” she started slowly, "there’s this guy…”

Lena’s heart tightened ever so slightly. _Of course there’s a guy. Kara probably has a dozen lovelorn gentlemen pining after her._ Lena forced these thoughts out of her head quickly. _Kara’s your only friend and you should listen to her, even if it’s painful to do so_ , Lena chided herself silently.

“You’ve met him before, actually. His name is Mike, he used to intern with us at Catco,” Kara continued.

“Ahhh, yes,” Lena remembered. “Mike, of the Interns”.

Kara nodded at her from across the table. “Yup, that’s the one.” Kara took a deep breath, glancing shyly at Lena before continuing. "Well lately he’s been….pursuing me.” Kara blushed adorably, and shook her head as if embarrassed. The movement caused her glasses to slip down her nose and she adjusted them once more. “I told him I’m not interested in that kind of relationship with him, but he still insists on making me uncomfortable!”

Lena's protective instinct overtook her at Kara’s words, rearing its head like an angry lioness protecting her cub. “Uncomfortable?”, she asks quickly, her heart rate quickening ever so slightly. If she finds out that Kara is being harassed, so help her, Lena will track down this Mike son-of-a-bitch and teach him a lesson on manners. “How so?” she asked, hoping that the tightness in her voice wouldn’t give away her anger, which was rising quickly as Lena's imagination went overboard thinking of the ways in which this jerk Mike was treating her Kara.

“He’s not doing anything bad!” Kara said quickly, noting the rise in Lena’s heartbeat and the almost imperceptible glint of cold anger in her eyes. “If anything, he’s being too nice to me. I just don’t know how to make it clear to him that I don’t want to be in a relationship with him without hurting his feelings. I like him. I really do, but only as a friend. Nothing more. I just want to let him down easy, you know?” Kara sighed, the crinkle between her eyebrows forming once more. “I just don’t know what to do, Lee. What do you think?”

Lena softened as she looked at her friend. Kara had recently taken to calling her Lee - Lena’s first nickname (one would need friends to be given a nickname). Hearing Kara call her that made Lena feel so special, so _known_. She smiled inwardly as her heart warmed (more like melted, if she was being honest with herself). She was distracted for a moment by Kara’s disinterest in Mike. She remembered back to the gala she had hosted for the Children’s Hospital. She had noticed Kara and Mike talking then, laughing and dancing with familiarity. He was a good-looking guy, she couldn’t deny that. She pondered over possible reasons why Kara didn’t like Mike as more than a friend. _Maybe it’s because she doesn’t like guys_. Lena shook her head slightly at the thought. Kara, who was once again staring away, unfocused, didn’t notice the movement. _Don’t get your hopes up_ , _Luthor_ , she thought to herself. _Just focus on the problem at hand_.

Lena considered what advice to give to Kara. She’d had her fair share of suitors to let down, of course, but she’s never held too much concern for letting them down easy. She pondered for a moment. “Well, why don’t you remove yourself as a possibility?”

Kara looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Lena said, measuring her words carefully. More than anything she wanted to convince Kara that no guy was worth a heartache….but some girls were. One girl, in particular. Instead, Lena said “Perhaps you should date someone else. Another guy that you like, maybe.”

Kara thought about this. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “Take myself out of the equation. Remove myself as a possibility,” she repeated, almost talking to herself. But then the crinkle reappeared as she sighed once more. “But the problem is that I don’t like any other guys. I can’t just start dating someone out of the blue and making them think that I like them, I’ll just be starting this whole problem all over again!”

“Well how about fake dating? You know, with a friend,” Lena said. “Better yet, with a girl. It would probably throw Mike off even more if you were to date a girl,” she added. She bit her tongue as soon as she had said it. She was sure Kara would see right through her. _She’ll know that you’re fishing to see if she likes girls and will be weirded out and won’t ever want to speak to you again, you’re going to lose your ONLY friend in National City and_ — her runaway thoughts were interrupted by Kara’s thoughtful hum.

“Hmmm, that could work. If only Lucy were in town, she’d pretend to date me in a heartbeat.” Kara remained in thought for a second more while across the table, unbeknownst to her, Lena fumed silently. Kara had mentioned her friend Lucy before, and Lena couldn’t help but be jealous. She knew it was completely unreasonable, but a part of her secretly wanted to be Kara’s only friend, to have her all to herself. Lena made an effort to distract herself from these thoughts. _Don’t be so possessive_ , she chided herself.

“Well, what about me? I’d date you. I mean, pretend-date you, gladly,” Lena said. She froze, surprised at herself for being so forward. She hadn’t meant to say anything, but the words had spilled out of her with no warning.

Kara looked up at her in surprise. “Really Lena, you would do that for me?” she asked, jumping up and down in her seat giddily.

Lena breathed a small sigh of relief at Kara’s bubbly reaction. That could’ve gone badly, but thankfully Kara “The Puppy” Danvers was not the kind of person to think that Lena might have an….alternative reason for pretending to be her girlfriend. Visions of holding Kara’s hand, standing close to her, _kissing_ her, flashed through Lena’s mind. She did her best to ignore them.

Lena smiled at Kara, thankful for once for the years her mother had trained her to not let her emotions show. “Of course I would, Kara. I’d love to help you,” she said smoothly.

Kara squealed and took her hand across the table. Lena tried to ignore the electric shock she felt run through her fingers as Kara’s hand closed over hers. “Thank you Lee! This will solve everything!”

Lena silently cursed for getting herself into a situation that could only end in her getting hurt. However, the thought of dating Kara, even if it was only fake-dating, overruled Lena’s sense of self-preservation as she smiled warmly at her friend. For the moment, Lena just contented herself with savoring the warmth of Kara’s hand in hers.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara  
  
    Kara walked Lena back to her office after lunch. “You know, you didn’t have to walk me all the way back up to my office Kara,” Lena said affectionately. “I doubt anything newsworthy would have happened on the elevator ride up,” she joked.  
  
    “Don’t be silly, Lee. This way I get to spend more time with you!” Kara liked the way Lena's smile got just a bit wider when Kara called her by her nickname. To call her Lena all the time just seemed so formal, and she had a feeling that Lena needed more affection in her life. She doubted it was something Lena got often growing up in the Luthor household. “Besides, it’s the chivalrous thing to do. You are my fake-girlfriend now, after all,” she said in mock seriousness. Lena rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her pleased smile. “Speaking of, you should come to the bar this Friday and I can officially introduce you as my date! Mon- Mike will be there.”  
  
    Lena chuckled at Kara’s excitement. “I’ll be there, just text me the details.”  
  
    They hugged goodbye and Kara sighed, happy that Lena allowed her to be so familiar. Despite what people seemed to think, Kara wasn’t naive. She knew that Lena didn’t act so warmly towards other people. Being the one person that Lena felt most comfortable around made Kara feel special, although she wished that Lena had more people who cared about her. _She needs a support system like mine_ , Kara thought. _Or maybe she could just share mine_.  
  
    Kara listened to the brunette’s heart, noting that it was beating more quickly than usual. Kara had noticed this the previous times she had hugged the Luthor, but she had always attributed it to Lena being surprised whenever Kara suddenly ambushed her with cuddles. Kara had, however, recently come up with a new hypothesis: Lena just wasn't used to physical affection - or any affection at all, if the Luthor family were all like her mother Lillian. The thought of it made Kara want to shower her friend in hugs whenever they saw each other, to make up for all the ones Lena missed out on growing up. And she would, as long as Lena allowed her to.  
  
    Kara suddenly realized that she had been holding on to Lena for a moment too long. She released her quickly. _Don’t push it, Kara_ , she thought to herself. _Lena won’t want hugs anymore if she thinks she’ll never escape them. She does have a business to run, after all_. “Friday it is then!” She gave her friend’s hand a parting squeeze, careful not to crush Lena’s fingers. “See you later babe,” she added cheekily, winking conspiratorially as she adopted Maggie’s nickname for her sister. She missed the momentarily heartsick expression that flashed across her friend’s face as she turned to leave.  
  
    “Bye,” Lena said softly.  
  
Lena  
  
    Lena watched Kara leave, smiling softly as she thought about that hug. _That hug!_ Kara’s hugs were the best. Not that she had many other experiences to compare with. Lena had been hugged only four times in her memory - and three of those hugs had been from Kara. The only other one she had ever gotten was from her brother Lex, who had pulled her close unexpectedly at her university graduation and given her three stilted pats on the back. It was quick and awkward, and neither of them could make eye contact after Lex released her. Lena remembered wondering what in the world had been going through Lex’s mind at the time. She and Lex had been close, but their relationship was never an affectionate one - they were Luthors after all, and Luthors never show emotion.  
      
    Kara’s hugs were different - they were warm, soft, and reminded Lena of the gentle heat from the sun on a warm summer’s day. Since her childhood, Lena had always enjoyed standing in patches of light, feeling the sun's warmth soak through to her bones, imagining each ray circulating through her body and energizing her. It was the sole reason she had chosen an office that faced east - so she could be enveloped in warm sunlight in the early hours of the morning when she needed it most. And now she had another source for this feeling. When Kara hugged her Lena felt revitalized, like she was being imbued with Kara’s endless energy through simple proximity. Lena found herself wondering what would happen if Kara didn’t let go first - surely they would be stuck together forever because Lena never wanted those hugs to end.  
  
    Lena took her seat at her desk, her eyes moving toward her ever-growing to do list that she kept neatly handwritten on the right hand side of her desk. She didn’t mind her long list of responsibilities - at that moment, she felt like she could handle anything.  
  
………………………………………...  
  
    Lena kept a silent countdown in her head over the next few days as she attended meetings, read reports and rubbed elbows with sleazy businessmen that she secretly despised. _Four more days….three more days…..two more days…..one more_. On Friday morning, Kara texted her and Lena tried without success to control the wide smile that appeared on her face as she saw Kara’s name pop up on her phone screen. “Hi Lena!! Still on for tonight? I can come by and pick you up around 8? :) :)”  
  
    Lena chuckled in relief and slight confusion. For one, she was happy that Kara had texted her and hadn’t forgotten about their…..date? Fake date? Regardless, Lena was ecstatic at the thought of seeing her friend again. For another, Lena was fairly sure Kara didn’t have a car - she always seemed to walk or bus everywhere she went. So Lena didn’t know exactly what Kara meant when she said she would pick Lena up, but Lena decided to just go with the flow. She texted Kara back quickly. “Hi Kara, yes that would be great! I’ll be at my office, xx.”  
  
    “Yay!!!!!!” Kara sent back a few seconds later. Lena smiled softly to herself. _Kara is such a cute puppy_. She was about to put her phone away when it buzzed once more. “Oh, btw the bar we’re going to is pretty casual - just a jeans and t-shirt kinda place.” Lena stared at the message for a moment. She had expected as much and had brought an outfit to work for this eventuality. She had also brought a fancy short club dress and a green sequined evening dress that she knew brought out her eyes…just in case. Sure, she might have overthought her outfit choices for tonight, but Lena liked to be prepared for every possibility - it was part of what made her such a great CEO.  
  
    Lena thought about the casual outfit she had brought with her. It had been so long since she had worn anything casual - anything normal - in public. She had learned a long time ago that her image mattered - as a Luthor and especially as a woman in the business world. A white male CEO would be able to get away with wearing jeans and a t-shirt to run his business, as long as he threw a blazer on. She knew she would be held to a higher standard simply because of her gender, so she always made an effort to have the perfect look for every occasion. While Lena minded the double standard, she didn’t mind wearing her work outfits. Her low-cut blouses, pencil skirts, dresses and four-inch heels always made her feel powerful. But Lena was glad that she could spend time with Kara in a casual setting. It was a bit ridiculous of her, but a part of Lena wanted Kara to see her in regular clothes so she didn’t think Lena was all business all the time.  
  
    Lena sent off a quick thumbs-up to Kara before putting her phone away. If she wanted to go out tonight, she’d better earn it by getting a good amount of work done before eight. L-Corp wasn’t going to run itself, after all.  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Lena  
  
    At ten minutes to eight, Lena turned off her computer, satisfied with her progress for the day. Being a CEO of a major tech company was not easy work, and Lena would usually be in her office much later than eight p.m., even on a Friday. The thought of spending time with Kara, however, was potent motivation to complete her work early. Lena quickly changed into her outfit for the evening in the private bathroom that adjoined her office. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment before deciding to let her hair down from her high bun. Her naturally wavy raven curls fell down below her shoulders and Lena massaged her scalp, enjoying the feeling of her hair being loose after being confined since the wee hours of the morning.  
  
    Lena stared at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. She couldn’t deny that she was feeling nervous about the night. Lena usually prided herself on being cool and unflappable, but introducing herself as Kara’s date certainly qualified as a nerve-wracking experience. Lena took one more deep breath and quickly touched up her lip gloss before heading downstairs to meet Kara.  
  
    She arrived at L-Corp’s ground floor just as Kara was pulling up to the curb outside. Lena bade goodnight to the night watchman, Joel, as she pushed through the revolving doors. When Lena’s eyes finally landed on the figure before her, she had to stop and catch her breath. Kara - sweet, innocent Kara - was riding a motorcycle.  
  
    Kara casually pushed the kickstand down and swung a long, lithe leg over the black sports bike. She was wearing skin-tight black jeans, sneakers, and a simple white long-sleeve t-shirt under a black leather jacket. Lena had to remind herself to breathe as she watched Kara pull off her helmet, her t-shirt riding up just slightly so that a sliver of exposed skin appeared at her hip. _This can’t be real_ , Lena thought to herself,  _I must be asleep at my desk right now._ Lena always thought Kara looked beautiful, but she had gotten used to seeing Kara in her dowdy cardigans with her hair tied up. Nothing could have prepared Lena for seeing Kara looking so….cool. Kara immediately showed off her dazzling smile upon seeing her friend and suddenly she looked so much more like the Kara that Lena was used to, like the friend and confidant Lena knew so well.    
  
    “Lena! It feels like it’s been so long!” Kara said, jokingly dramatic. She cleared the space between them and wrapped Lena in a warm hug without hesitation. Lena hugged back immediately, throwing her arms around Kara like she was drowning and Kara was a lifeline.  
  
    “It’s good to see you too, Kara,” Lena said as Kara released her. She glanced behind her blonde friend. “I didn’t know you rode a motorcycle!”  
  
    Kara smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “It’s Alex’s, actually,” she said. “My sister,” she added quickly, seeing Lena’s questioning look. “She let’s me borrow it every once in a while when I need it. She let’s me borrow her jacket, too” Kara tugged at her sleeve. "I hope you don’t mind!” she exclaimed suddenly, eyebrow crease appearing as she considered the possibility that Lena didn’t want to ride on a motorcycle. They are dangerous after all - for humans.  
  
    “No, no,” Lena smiled. “I’ve actually always wanted to ride one, but I’ve just never had the opportunity and I’ve never had the time to learn it for myself.”  
  
    “Well I could teach you!” Kara exclaimed. “It’s really easy, actually. I’m sure someone as smart as you would get the hang of it in no time.”  
  
    Lena ducked her head in an uncharacteristic show of shyness, but couldn't hide her pleased smile. “I would like that very much, actually,” she said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to drive a motorcycle,” she said.  
  
    “Well, we’ll just have to make that happen, won’t we?” Kara smiled warmly. “But for now, how about we settle for you riding on the back? I’ve got an extra helmet for you!” she exclaimed, grabbing a black full head helmet from the back of the bike. “This is for you,” she said. “Safety first! I can’t have my girlfriend getting hurt now, can I?” she said jokingly.  
  
    Lena gratefully accepted the helmet, pulling it over her head quickly to hide her blush at Kara’s semi-flirtatious tone. “I’m ready!” she said, and Kara giggled at her enthusiasm before pulling on her own helmet. Kara really didn’t need it, but it was the law to wear a helmet even if it made her glasses dig uncomfortably into the sides of her face.  
  
    “Climb on!” Kara said as she swung her leg over the bike. Lena approached her cautiously and swung her own leg over. “Put your feet here on these pedals,” Kara instructed, “and just hang on to my shoulders or my waist, whichever you’re more comfortable with.”  
  
    Lena placed her hands on Kara’s waist and prayed that Kara couldn’t feel her heartbeat pounding as she leaned into Kara’s back. The night had only just started and already it felt like a dream she had conjured up. Lena sneakily pinched her wrist as Kara kickstarted the bike. Yup, she was definitely awake. Lena couldn’t believe her luck.  
  
    “Are you ready?” Kara asked as she revved the engine. Lena nodded and hummed her ascent. With a roar, they drove off, Lena clutching slightly harder at Kara’s waist as they accelerated away.  
  
Kara  
  
    Kara drove off, merging into traffic and making sure not to go too fast as to make Lena uncomfortable. She felt Lena’s arms tighten around her as she pulled away from L-Corp, but she also heard Lena’s carefree laugh as they speeded off. She was glad that Alex had let her borrow her bike. She had offered Lena a ride earlier this morning before considering how she might actually do so. She couldn’t exactly pick her up and fly her to the bar without giving away her little Super-secret, as Kara liked to call it.  
  
    Lena seemed to like riding on Alex’s bike judging from her giddy laughter whenever Kara took a particularly sharp turn. Kara felt a sudden rush of gratitude to Alex for signing her up for motorcycle lessons, even though at the time Kara had thought they were completely useless. Why learn how to drive when she could just fly or run anywhere she needed to go? But Alex convinced her that being able to drive would make her less conspicuous and Kara couldn’t argue with that. Driving was basically a right of passage in the small, sleepy town of Midvale where she spent her teenage years. She hadn’t driven a car since she moved to National City, but every once in a while she would take Alex’s bike out for a spin, enjoying the feeling of speeding through the city with the wind rushing past her. It felt almost like flying, but so much more _human_. Whenever she was feeling overwhelmed with life on Earth, Kara would ride Alex’s bike and could almost convince herself that she belonged in this world - that if humans could come up with ways to feel like she did when flying, then maybe they weren’t so different after all.  
  
    Kara pulled in slowly to the alleyway that led to the alien bar, parking Alex’s bike behind a dumpster near a red sports bike that she recognized as Maggie’s. Kara smiled to herself. She knew that Alex had let her borrow her bike because she knew that she could catch a ride with Maggie. The thought brought her attention to her own passenger. Lena had stepped off the bike and was shaking her hair as she pulled her helmet off. Kara took the opportunity to admire Lena’s outfit as she pulled off her own helmet and readjusted her glasses. Lena’s outfit was simple but fashionable - she was wearing black jeans, a plain black t-shirt, and a brown leather jacket to go with her brown belt and heels.  
  
    “You look really nice out of your clothes,” Kara said as Lena ruffled her hair once more to avoid any vestiges of helmet hair. Lena raised an eyebrow at her in amusement, and it took Kara a second to understand why. “Not - I mean you look nice out of your business clothes, in regular clothes, not that you look good out of your clothes - but you know, you look good in your business clothes too - and - and I’m sure you look good without - uh - “ Kara stammered and blushed profusely at her slip-up, before deciding to just give up and stop talking already.  
  
    Lena laughed good-naturedly. “Don’t worry, Kara. I know what you meant. You look really nice too, by the way.” Lena’s smile faltered somewhat as she took in her surroundings, looking uncertainly at the dumpsters they had parked behind.  
      
    “Don’t worry, it’s safe,” Kara assured her. “This part of town might look a little rough around the edges, but it’s actually got a really low crime rate.” As Supergirl, she should know. She didn’t answer calls to this area of town often, so it was in her good books. “Besides, my sister’s inside and she's a secret agent with a gun. So she can protect us if something goes wrong,” she added, winking at Lena.  
  
    Lena chuckled. “Well, if you say it’s alright, then it’s alright with me.” Kara grinned at her and offered her hand. Lena stared at it for a split-second before realizing that Kara meant for her to take it.  
  
    Kara smiled at her as Lena tentatively threaded their fingers together. Lena’s hand was cold from the ride over and Kara was glad she could help warm it up. “By the way, Alex and Maggie know about our little...arrangement. But no one else does.”  
  
    Lena suddenly wondered how many people she was being introduced to. For some reason, it had never crossed her mind that Lena would be meeting people that were important to Kara other than Mike. But it seemed like Lena was going to be meeting Kara’s sister Alex and…”Maggie? Who’s that?”  
  
    “Oh!” Kara exclaimed. “I guess I should give you some backstory, huh?” Kara smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I got so excited about introducing you to my friends that I forgot to tell you about everyone!” Kara stopped them outside a nondescript metal door at the end of the alleyway. “It’s not a big group, really. It’ll just be my sister Alex, her girlfriend Maggie, my best friend Winn, and our friend James who I think you might know - he’s taken over Cat Grant’s role at Catco,” Kara smiled proudly at James’ accomplishment. “Oh - and Mon-el, of course,” Kara added.  
      
    “Mon-el?” Lena questioned, her head cocking to the side unconsciously. “That’s an unusual name.”  
  
    “Oh!” Kara’s eyes shifted nervously. “Mon- actually, I meant Mike. His name is Mike, but…um...his nickname is Mon-el.” Kara fiddled nervously with her jacket as she stammered. "Sorry, we’re all so used to calling him Mon-el that that I forget that he goes by Mike sometimes.” She laughed nervously.  
  
    “Okay,” Lena took this in stride. “So Mon-el, James, Winn, Maggie, and your sister Alex. Got it,” Lena smiled confidently.  
  
    Kara smiled fondly back. She realized that she should have given Lena an advance warning about what she was in for, but she admired how smart and quick on her feet Lena was. “Okay!” she exclaimed. “You’re all caught up! Ready to meet everyone?” Lena nodded. Kara smiled widely at her before knocking three times on the door at the end of the alleyway. A small section of the door at eye level slid open quickly. Kara could just catch a glimpse of a narrowed set of yellow eyes appraising her suspiciously. “Knoxville,” Kara stated confidently. The peephole slammed shut and Kara smiled assuredly at Lena. A moment later, they heard the sound of several sets of locks being turned. The door swung open and Kara gently tugged Lena into the bar.


	4. Chapter 4

Lena  
  
    Lena snuck a glance at her and Kara’s joined hands as Kara excitedly pulled her into the bar, enjoying the look of her pale fingers intertwined with Kara’s long, tan ones. _Short fingernails….huh._ “Hey Kara, over here!” Lena looked up at the sound of Kara’s name, searching for the source of the call. Her view was immediately impeded by a bartender who passed by them so quickly that she looked a little blurry. Lena’s gaze followed the woman as she quickly zigzagged her way around customers on her way back to the bar. Something seemed….different about her, but Lena couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Before she could figure it out, she was distracted as Kara tugged on her hand, guiding her gently towards a booth near some pool tables where a group of people were sitting comfortably.  
  
    “Hi everyone!” Kara called, waving excitedly at her friends as she and Lena arrived at the booth. She leaned down to give a quick peck on the cheek to the brunette sitting nearest to them. Lena felt a flash of recognition - Alex, of course. Lena was surprised that she had forgotten that she had met Kara’s sister before. The woman had saved her life after all, but of course, Kara was usually the only Danvers on her mind. “Everyone,” Kara said, “I’d like you to meet Lena! Lena, meet everyone!” Lena smiled warmly at Kara’s friends as Kara pointed everyone out. “That’s Winn over there, that’s James, this is Maggie, and this is my big sister Alex!”  
  
    Lena was surprised to note that she recognized all of Kara’s friends as they waved to her in turn. “It sure is a small city, isn’t it?” she asked jokingly. “You saved my life,” she said to Alex, who nodded. “And we met, James, at the CatCo gala earlier this year,” James smiled at her. She turned to Winn and laughed lightly. “We built a black body generator under a table at the Children’s Hospital fundraiser,” Winn saluted her, smiling proudly as he remembered how he had helped Lena save the day. Lastly, Lena turned to Maggie. “And you arrested me a couple weeks ago!”  
  
    Maggie grimaced. “Yeah, about that,” she said apologetically. “I’m sorry things went down that way. Captain’s orders, you see.”  
  
    Lena smiled warmly. “Don’t worry about it. Really. I know you were just doing your job,” Lena gestured with her hands appeasingly. “I appreciate everyone at the NCPD and the FBI for the work you do, for keeping the city safe. Thank you,” Lena said, meaning every word as she extended a look towards Alex.  
  
    “Well I appreciate that,” Maggie said, her dimples appearing as she relaxed and smiled widely. “Have a seat guys, there’s plenty of room!” Lena smiled as she slid into the seat next to Winn, Kara following her, sitting close enough that Lena felt her heart beat in staccato as she felt Kara’s shoulder and thigh touch hers. She silently sent out a thank you to the universe that the bar was dimly lit enough that no one could see her blush.  
  
    “Club soda for the laaady,” a male voice said jauntily. Lena recognized Mike - Mon-el - as he suddenly appeared at their table, setting a glass in front of Kara even though she hadn’t ordered anything yet. “And, oh!” he said, noticing Lena, who made an effort to stifle the patented Luthor death-glare that she soooo wanted to give him, “Is there anything I can get for you?”  
  
    “Just a Guiness on draft, if you have any,” Lena said, and she was pleased to hear no obvious note of jealousy in her voice.  
  
    “Thanks Mon-el,” Kara said. Lena didn’t miss the way Mon-el’s eyes snapped back to Kara at the sound of her voice, or how his gaze slipped down to her lips quickly, almost imperceptibly. “By the way, I want you to meet my date, Lena!” Lena’s breath hitched as Kara unexpectedly took her hand and held it in her lap. She raised her hand that wasn’t enclosed in Kara’s, giving a confused-looking Mon-el a small wave.  
  
    “Ah,” he said. Lena was surprised to see Mon-el’s expression morph into one of disbelieving amusement. “Well, any _friend_ of Kara’s is a friend of mine,” he said, smiling widely. Was Lena imagining things, or did he put a little too much emphasis on the word ‘friend’? “Your Guiness is coming right up, m’lady!” He was gone and back so quickly that Lena could have sworn he had conjured the glass of dark beer he held in his hand out of thin air. She raised her eyebrow at the quick service as she thanked him for the drink. Mon-el, instead of going back to work, just stood there at the table, smiling silently at everyone.  
  
    “Don’t you have to go back to the bar, Mon-el?” Kara asked, and Lena thought she detected a barely-there hint of warning in Kara’s voice.  
  
    “Uh….Yup!” Mon-el said, nodding slowly. “You’re right! You are….right.” It still seemed like he didn’t want to leave. After a few more seconds of awkward silence he said, “Okay, just let me know if you want anything else!” he gestured to the entire table, but his eyes were on Kara. Lena watched as Mon-el turned and walked back to the bar, glancing quickly at Kara as she did so. Her friend was also watching Mon-el go, a slight crease between her eyebrows.  
  
    “Well, on that note,” Maggie said suddenly, thankfully interrupting the silence that had fallen over the table during the interaction, “who wants to get absolutely crushed by me and Danvers in pool?” She smiled mischievously, eyebrows wriggling with glee.  
  
    Alex grinned as she sipped on her beer, amused at Maggie’s use of the word 'crush'. They were both all too aware of the little love triangle forming around Kara. “Yeah, who’s up for the challenge? Winn, how about you?”  
  
    “Well,” Winn said cockily, “I happen to know a thing or two about pool.” James guffawed at his boast. Winn shot him an affronted look. “What? I’ve gotten better since the last time, I swear! I stand by what I said before - pool is just physics with sticks. Last time was just a warm-up, I’m ready to go!” He made a show of cracking his knuckles, but it was ruined by his slight grimace of pain at the action and his softly uttered “Ow."  
  
    “I’ll be on your team,” Lena said, surprising herself with her boldness. She had barely met these people and she was volunteering herself for a game of pool with them? Well, she couldn’t back out now. “Physics just so happens to be my forte,” she said, shooting one of her practiced, confident smiles at Winn.  
  
    “Hah!” Winn exclaimed as he held a hand up towards her. Bemused, Lena gave him a reluctant high-five, something she had seen people do in movies, but certainly not something she had ever done before. Her mother would certainly disapprove of such undignified behavior. The thought made Lena smile.  
  
    “Physics, huh?” Maggie said, grinning as their group got up and moved towards the nearest pool table. “I would have thought your specialty would be chemistry,” she added quietly, winking slyly so that Lena would know she had meant her words for Lena’s ears only. Lena almost dropped her beer.  
  
  
Kara  
  
    Kara sighed happily as she watched Maggie and Alex gently tease Lena, the little ‘fake-dating’ secret the four of them shared seemed to have a bonding effect on them. Or maybe Maggie was just that good at making people comfortable in what might otherwise be an awkward situation. Kara could tell that Alex was holding back just slightly, still unsure about the Luthor despite Kara’s insistence that Lena was a good person. Kara had made Alex promise that she would behave tonight and be nice and Alex had promised that she would try. Kara was pleased to see that Alex was doing well so far.  
  
    Kara and James opted to watch the game from a couple of nearby bar stools as Lena, Winn, Maggie and Alex circled the pool table. Maggie racked up the balls as the others grabbed their poolsticks. Lena glanced at Kara, amused, as Winn attempted to break, somehow knocking the cue ball around the entire table without hitting anything. “That was a warm-up!” he called, as the others laughed good-naturedly. “Here’s the real deal, you guys won’t know what hit you!” He wriggled his butt comically as he leaned down in an exaggerated pool stance. Thankfully, he managed to break successfully on his second attempt, managing to land a solid ball in the corner pocket.  
  
    “Nice one!” Lena called encouragingly as Kara clapped her hands. It made her so happy to see Lena getting along with her friends.  
  
    “So,” James said, and Kara looked over at him. She had a feeling that James wanted to say something about Lena and she was partly apprehensive that he would try to discourage her once again from her friendship with the Luthor. “Lena’s your date, huh?”  
  
    “Oh!” Kara said, a blush rising on her face. “Yeah, she’s my - we’re - um, yup,” she stammered, nodding exaggeratedly. Her glasses slipped down with the movement and she adjusted them nervously. She suddenly found herself apprehensive for a whole other reason - she hoped that she wasn’t hurting James’ feelings by dating someone else. It was fake-dating, she rationed, but James didn't know that. She had turned him down months ago, but there were times when she thought he might still like her.  
  
    “Kara,” he smiled assuredly. “It’s okay.”  
  
    Kara looked at him, wide-eyed behind her glasses. “It is?” she said, glancing away from James’ intense gaze. “I mean, I know it is. I just - I know - it’s...“ Kara trailed off as she watched Lena sink two shots in quick succession. Lena was really good at pool.  
  
    “Kara,” James said. “I know you’re worried about me being against you and Lena together because she’s a Luthor.” This caught Kara’s attention and she turned her head towards him so fast that if she was human, she would surely have gotten whiplash. James just looked at her, understanding in his eyes. “I trust you, Kara,” he said simply. “And after all that’s happened, if you say Lena’s good people, then I trust in your judgement.” Kara felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards her friend. “We promised to stop trying to protect each other and just be friends, right?” he reminded her, and she nodded. “Well, I’m just happy that you’re happy.”  
  
    Kara sighed in relief. The past few months she had felt like things were slowly spiraling out of control, what with James becoming Guardian, Lillian Luthor escaping prison, and her worries about work, Cadmus and rescuing Jeremiah threatening to drive her insane. Kara didn’t realize how much she craved her friend's support. She didn’t want to admit how much it had hurt her last month when Lena had been kidnapped by her mother and nobody believed in Lena’s innocence but her. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lena was pure and goodhearted, but it didn’t seem like that was enough for anyone else. “Thank you so much James,” she said, giving her friend a soft smile. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”  
  
    “Anytime,” James said.  
  
    “Whoa, nice!” Kara and James turned their attention towards the pool table once again as Alex’s voice distracted them from their conversation. The game was tied up now, with only a single solid ball, a single striped ball and the eight ball left. Lena had apparently just made an amazing shot, causing Alex’s exclamation. The odds didn’t seem to be in Lena and Winn’s favor, though - the solid ball was backed up against a wall, nowhere near a pocket or the cue ball, for that matter, which was on the opposite end of the table. Maggie’s and Alex’s ball, however, was lined up nicely with one of the corner pockets. Lena stood back from the table, eyes narrowed as she calculated her options.  
  
     “Hey Lena, care to make this interesting?” Maggie called to Lena, who looked up from the table with interest.  
  
    “What do you have in mind, Detective?” Lena smirked.  
  
    “If you make this shot, the next round’s on me,” Maggie said, grinning. She clearly didn’t think Lena stood a chance in hell at making that shot. “Otherwise, it’s all on you. And I have to say, I’m really craving a nice, expensive scotch right now.” Kara laughed at Maggie’s teasing. She knew that Maggie was more of a beer person than a hard liquor drinker and probably wouldn’t actually order an expensive drink if Lena bought the next round.  
  
    Lena chuckled. “You’re on. Watch and learn, my friend,” she said confidently as she bent down to take her shot. Kara held her breath. She found she was really rooting for Lena to make it, which was silly because it was only a simple pool game with friends and the stakes weren’t all that high since the Luthor obviously had more than enough money to buy a few drinks.  
  
     _Clack_. Kara watched in awe as Lena hit her mark, knocking the cue ball into the solid ball at _just_ the right angle to make it rebound off the back wall and sail easily into the opposite corner pocket. “Yay!” Kara clapped her hands excitedly. Lena smiled widely at her as a whooping Winn went in for another high-five. Maggie’s mouth formed a comical ‘O’ as she watched Lena take yet another shot, easily sinking the eight ball and winning the game.  
  
    “Well, I believe you’ve met your match, Danvers!” Maggie said to Alex, although her eyes flicked to Kara as she said it and Kara wondered if maybe some of that sentiment was aimed at her. “I think I need to go buy a round, don’t I? Help me out, Alex?” Maggie headed toward the bar, giving Lena a high-five as she passed by. “Nice one, L.” Lena grinned.  
  
    Kara couldn’t contain her excitement as she bounced over to Lena and grabbed her hand. “That was awesome, Lee! I didn’t know you were so good at pool!”  
  
    Lena shrugged nonchalantly, but couldn't hide her pleased grin. “Winn is right, it’s really just basic physics.” She smiled and took a sip of her nearly-empty beer as Kara led her back to her booth, still holding her hand.  
  
    They had only just sat down when Maggie called from the bar. “Hey Danvers! Mind giving us a hand with these drinks?”  
  
    “Be right back!” Kara left Lena with James and Winn, who was still gushing over Lena’s pool skills. She walked towards the bar where Alex and Maggie stood with five beers and a club soda, a barely concealed skip in her step. She was just so happy that Lena was getting along well with her friends.  
  
    Maggie grinned as she handed a couple beers to Kara to carry. “You sure did a good job catching someone as hot as that Lena, eh Danvers?” she raised an eyebrow. “She can drink _and_ she can play pool, that’s basically all you need in a girl, right babe?” she winked at Alex, who rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless.  
  
    “Totally,” Alex nodded sagely.  
  
    “You guys!” Kara chided. “You know about our deal!” she whispered conspiratorially after first making sure that Mon-el was not around to hear her. “Lee is such a good friend,” she sighed, and Alex and Maggie shared an amused look at the dreamy smile on the younger Danvers’ face.  
  
    “Sure Little Danvers,” Maggie said, a sly wink gracing her features once more. “I know about your little arrangement, which _Lee_ suggested.” She cocked her head, dimples appearing in all their glory as she smiled knowingly. “I still think you managed to catch yourself a good one,” she said as she and Alex walked away. Kara could only follow behind, positively perplexed at what Maggie could possibly mean.  
  
Lena  
  
    Lena was surprised at how much fun she was having and how well she was getting along with Kara’s friends. She felt unexpectedly comfortable with Alex and Maggie, whose gentle teasing matched Lena’s playful sense of humor perfectly. Lena thought James’ jokes were funny, especially his impression of Snapper Carr, who Lena was familiar with from Kara’s work stories. Lena found that she got along with Winn particularly well - they had somehow gotten into a spirited discussion on the topic of tachyon enhancement and Lena was pleased to have someone to bounce her ideas of applying tachyons to inter-dimensional travel off of. Throughout the night, Kara kept hold of her hand. Lena wasn’t naive to the fact that Kara was doing this for Mon-el’s sake - she had noticed the bartender throwing glances to them from behind the bar - but she still enjoyed the feeling of Kara’s warm fingers intertwined with hers.  
  
    At one point, Lena offered to get the next round for the table, much to the delight of Winn and James who by that point were well and buzzed. Lena grinned at them and headed to the bar as the boys whooped their gratitude, Maggie and Alex joining in cheerfully. Kara still hadn’t let go of her hand, so she found herself being accompanied by the blue-eyed beauty. “Are you having a good time, Lena?” Kara asked, squeezing Lena’s elbow softly with the her other hand.  
  
    “I am,” Lena felt butterflies at the extra contact. “I like your friends.”  
  
    “Well they’re your friends now, too!” Kara said happily, and Lena bit her bottom lip in quiet joy. She had started out the day with Kara as her only friend in National City and now she suddenly knew four more people. She wouldn’t go so far as to call them friends, really. But maybe she could call them acquaintances….that she could see herself calling friends in the near future, if they would have her.  
  
    “What can I get for you?” the bartender Lena had noticed when she first entered the bar asked them. The one Lena had thought looked different. Now, Lena could see why - it was her eyes. The woman’s irises were bright yellow, with vertical pupils that reminded Lena of a cat’s. _She’s an alien_ , Lena realized suddenly. Her eyes flicked around the bar in a mild panic, her mind racing as she finally took a closer look at her surroundings. A man further down the bar had a clawed, scaly hand wrapped around a pint of sloshy red liquid that didn’t look like any kind of beer Lena had ever seen. And over there, in the corner, a couple of girls who had blue skin and who’s sharp shark-like teeth were on full display as they laughed drunkenly at a funny story one of them was telling the other. _They’re all aliens_ , Lena thought. Fear struck her suddenly as she realized that she was surrounded. Almost immediately afterward, that fear was replaced with shame when she realized that she had been here in this bar for hours and not a single alien had caused her the slightest bit of harm. This was a bar just like any other, except the people here socializing were mostly aliens instead of human. Lena felt ashamed for her moment of fear and decided that she wouldn’t be a bigot towards any of these people. She wasn’t her mother, and these people all deserved to be judged on their own merit instead of by their planet of origin.  
  
    All these thoughts flashed through Lena’s mind in a split-second, not long enough for the bartender to notice. “Two pints of Guiness, three Heinekens, and one club soda, please,” Lena answered, not even a tremor in her voice. She looked to her left to see Kara watching her carefully and she suddenly remembered that, although the rest of them had been drinking the entire night, Kara was stone cold sober. Had she noticed Lena’s minor freak-out?  
  
    “That’ll be $28.75,” the bartender said. Lena pulled out a black card from her pocket. The bartender nodded her thanks, running the card through. She was about to hand the receipt to Lena to sign when she stopped, her body tensing, taking on a defensive stance. Lena looked at her in confusion and saw that the bartender had her eyes on the black card Lena had handed her, specifically at the spot where Lena’s name was inscribed: LENA L. LUTHOR.  
  
    Fear shot through Lena once more. She could almost hear the panic running through bartender’s mind as she realized that there was a _Luthor_ in her bar. A member of the family that was so infamously anti-alien, and a relative of Lex Luthor, who had tried to kill Superman multiple times. Lena’s breath caught as she thought of an escape plan. How long would it take for the whole bar to realize she was here and turn against her? Could she make it out the front door? What about Kara and her friends? Would they be okay if people realized that they had invited a Luthor to an alien bar?  
  
    Lena considered all her options for escape from running out the door right then and there to pressing the panic button on the security app on her phone. But then she had another thought: what would Kara do in this situation? Lena glanced to her left and didn’t mistake the signs of alarm on Kara’s face as she realized what was happening. Lena knew what Kara would do - Kara, who was so trusting and so good that she automatically believed in the inherent good of every living being. Lena took a deep breath and looked at the bartender, who was now looking directly back at Lena, still in shock at being face to face with a Luthor.  
  
    “I’m just trying to have drinks with my friends,” Lena said, pleadingly. “I mean no harm. Really,” Lena added, hoping that the bartender could somehow sense that she genuinely meant it.  
  
    A long second passed, in which Lena could feel Kara’s hand slowly tensing in hers as her friend silently watched the situation unfold, her eyes switching back and forth between Lena and the bartender. Finally, the bartender nodded, relinquishing her grip on Lena’s receipt and card. Lena gave her a grateful smile as she signed it quickly - her signature almost illegible, her hand was shaking so badly. “Thank you,” Lena whispered. The bartender simply looked at her and nodded tersely before going to prepare their drinks. Lena took advantage as her back was turned to quietly slip a fifty-dollar bill into the tip jar on the counter.  
  
    They collected their drinks without further issue and carried them back to their table, where their friends rejoiced at their return and, more importantly, the arrival of their beer. Before she could sit back down, however, Kara’s hand was back in Lena’s and she was tugging her away, leading her towards a little dark corner near the jukebox where they would be safely out of sight. Kara’s expression was unreadable as she turned toward Lena and enveloped her in a tight hug.  
  
    “Well if this is my thanks for buying that last round,” Lena said, attempting a joke, “it’ll be my treat for the rest of the night!”  
  
    Kara pulled away, and Lena looked upon her friend’s guilt-ridden face. “Lena I’m so sorry!” she said, twisting her hands in worry. “I’m so sorry, I should have anticipated that you might run into trouble here because of your name and - oh Rao - I should have told you that this was an alien bar. I’m so so sorry!”  
  
    Lena smiled fondly at her friend. “You have nothing to apologize for, Kara.” When Kara looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes, it was all Lena could do not to kiss her right then and there. “Really. You and your friends are obviously regulars here. I understand that this is a place that’s important to you. I’m actually quite touched that you trust me, a Luthor, enough to bring me here.” Lena spit out her name with utmost disdain.  
  
    “Don’t do that,” Kara said immediately, and Lena looked at her in confusion. “Don’t say your name like that, like it’s a curse or something.”  
  
    Lena chuckled humorlessly. “But Kara, it _is_ a curse. I mean, look at what just happened.”  
  
    Kara grabbed both of Lena’s hands. “What I just saw was you, being kind and trusting the goodness of another person, and that other person doing the same for you.” Lena looked into Kara’s eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. “You are more than your name, Lena. And while the Luthor name might be associated with terrible things right now, I don’t think it will always be.” Kara’s blue eyes bored into hers, as if challenging Lena to believe her words. "Not if you keep doing the good work you’ve been doing.” Lena gasped softly at Kara’s words. No one had ever believed in her like this before. “If there’s anyone who can turn it around, it’s you.”  
  
    Lena couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even trust herself to hold back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. So she just wrapped her arms around Kara and held her. And Kara did the same. This time, Kara made sure she wasn’t the first to let go.  
  
…………………………………..  
  
    Later that night, Kara called a cab for Alex, Maggie, Winn and James, who were all way too inebriated to drive home. She packed Lena onto Alex’s bike once more and drove her to her apartment building. She left Alex’s bike in the guest parking spot and accompanied Lena all the way up to her penthouse apartment to make sure she got in safe. “You know,” Kara said she watched Lena fit her key in her lock perfectly on the first try, “you handle your alcohol pretty well. Alex usually takes a lot more tries to get her key in the lock when she’s drunk. But you’re in pretty good shape.” Lena raised her eyebrows and smirked at Kara, who’s eyes widened comically. “I mean - you know, I mean you handle your liquor well - is what I meant when I said you have a good shape - that you’re IN pretty good shape - I -“ for the second time that night, Kara decided that it would be better if she just stop talking.  
  
    “Blame it on my Irish genes,” Lena chuckled, choosing to be merciful and not tease Kara. She took a deep breath, feeling a rush of bravery that probably had everything to do with the three pints of Guinness and two shots she had drank that night. "Do you want to come in?” Lena asked, swaying slightly as she opened her front door. It was only good manners to ask, she reasoned with herself. She hadn’t been raised by a pack of wolves, after all. _Well….maybe figuratively, but not literally._  
  
    Kara smiled fondly at her friend. “How ‘bout we get you all tucked in and then I’ll head out? I should make sure Alex got home okay.”  
  
    Lena smiled. She blinked, but her eyes stayed closed a second too long. _So sleepy_. “Okay,” Lena said compliantly, leading the way into her apartment.  
  
    Thankfully, Lena had the presence of mind to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth within the confines of her bathroom instead of changing out in the bedroom where Kara was waiting. She joined Kara in the bedroom and was all ready to climb into bed when Kara suddenly erupted into a fit of giggles. “What is it? What’s so funny?” Lena said, looking around at her friend.  
  
    “Nothing,” Kara said gleefully. “It’s just - I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to sleep in Superman pajamas, that’s all.”  
  
    Lena glanced down at her dark blue pajama bottoms with little red Super symbols plastered all over. Lena had bought them online one night when she'd had a bit too much wine and they, along with her well-worn MIT shirt, had quickly become her favorite sleeping outfit. Lena enjoyed the irony of a Luthor feeling safe and warm in Super pajamas. She couldn’t be mad at Kara for laughing, though. They did look pretty silly. “I’ll have you know that these are Super _girl_ pajamas.” Kara stopped laughing, but her smile remained. “So there.” Lena finished, climbing sleepily into her comfy bed, too tired to think of a better comeback. She began burrowing her way into her sheets, wrapping them around her until she was comfortable.  
  
    Kara smiled down at her friend fondly. “Are you nice and comfy, Lee? You’re not going to be too hot all wrapped up in those sheets?”  
  
    “No,” came Lena’s muffled voice. She mumbled something that Kara, even with her super-hearing, couldn’t quite catch.  
  
    “What did you say?” Kara asked.  
  
    Lena’s head appeared from her little cocoon and she repeated, “I said, 'I’m always _hot_ , Kara’”. Kara rolled her eyes and chuckled because drunk-Lena was really flirty. “But I like being all wrapped up, it makes me feel like a burrito,” she continued sleepily.  
  
    Kara shook her head at her friend. “You’re cute, Lee,” she told her as she patted her head. Lena nuzzled into her touch and was about to drift off to sleep when she felt Kara’s lips brush her forehead, so lightly that she couldn’t be completely sure it had actually happened and it wasn’t just her imagination. “Goodnight, little burrito,” she heard her friend say softly.  
  
    “Goodnight Kara,” Lena mumbled back.


	5. Chapter 5

Lena

Lena awoke the next morning with a pulsing headache. _I’m never drinking again_ , she vowed silently to herself, knowing full well that it was a promise she had made before and a promise she would break again. “Ugghhh,” she groaned as she attempted to open her eyes, instantly blinded by the bright sunlight that shone through her floor-to-ceiling east window. She opened her eyes again, more slowly this time to give them time to adjust. As she stared up at her stark white ceiling, Lena thought back to the events of the previous night. She had a really good time with Kara and her friends. The thought of it made her feel almost giddy with happiness - was that what it was like to have friends? Not the kids she had known at school, who hung out with her because of their parents’ business ties, but real, actual friends who cared about her and not about her name or money?

Lena felt great. Not physically, of course - she was nauseous and, despite not having moved yet, felt like the room was slightly spinning - but she felt content in the fact that she had had fun the previous night, had made a good impression on Kara’s friends, and had been tucked into bed by none other than the lovely Kara Danvers herself. Lena smiled at the memory of Kara walking her to her apartment and waiting until she was safely in bed before placing the lightest of kisses on Lena’s forehead. Lena lifted her fingers to her face and gently touched the spot where Kara’s lips had ghosted over her skin. Then a frown overtook her pale features - had that kiss just been a part of her drunken dreams? It had seemed too good to be true at the time, and maybe it was. As much as she would like to believe it had happened, Lena decided that the kiss had just been her imagination, overactive and over-hopeful in her drunken state.

Lena rolled over to check the time on her alarm clock, only to be surprised when she saw a glass of water on her nightstand with a Post-it note attached - _For my little burrito, good morning!_ Lena’s heart fluttered deliciously in her chest as she took in Kara’s flowing script, the way she dotted her 'i’s with little hearts, and her use of the possessive 'my’. She grabbed the glass and gulped the water down, realizing just how parched she was as the cool water hit her throat. She stole a quick glance at the clock on her bedside table as she replaced the now-empty glass. _Damn, it’s only 7am. Even when I’m hungover I can’t sleep in properly._  She sighed.

Lena sat up slowly, groaning pitifully as her headache pulsed painfully. She made her way to the kitchen, straight to her timed coffee pot which had already brewed her morning cup. She poured a large dose for herself, inhaling deeply as the scent of coffee reached her nose. She sipped at it slowly, feeling her nausea slowly settle as the hot liquid warmed her. She enjoyed her first few sips before gravitating naturally towards her desk, resolving to get through several R&D reports before noon. However, before she could get started she heard a chime from her phone.

 _Hey, just wanted to make sure you’re still alive and well. Had a great time last night! - Maggie_. Lena stared at the text in surprise. She only vaguely remembered drunkenly exchanging numbers with the dimpled detective the night before. She was about to reply when her phone chimed again.

 _Sorry, Maggie doesn’t know that most people actually like to sleep in on Saturday mornings. But, for the record, I also had a good time last night :) - Alex._  

Lena couldn’t believe it. It was rare that she would get a text from someone other than Kara (Kara had recently taken to sending Lena pictures of ducks and puppies at random intervals…..A habit Lena found almost unbearably cute). Now she had gotten two texts in a row from Maggie and Alex, who she was surprised to even hear from. Lena thought back to the previous night fondly. Her favorite part of the night (her favorite part of the night that didn't involve Kara, that is) had to be hearing Maggie’s and Alex’s story of accidentally butt-dialing Alex’s boss during one of their make out sessions. The two of them somehow managed to turn a mortifying experience into one of the funniest stories Lena had ever heard. Lena was glad that they were so welcoming to her. She hadn't had any expectations for Maggie, but since the moment Kara had told her she'd be meeting her sister, Lena had been feeling apprehensive, afraid that Kara's older sister wouldn't take too kindly to her. Her worries seemed unfounded, though, and Lena found herself pleasantly surprised. Alex had been slightly standoffish at first, but over the course of the night had warmed to Lena considerably.

She scribed a text to both Maggie and Alex, saying the same thing. _I had a good time last night too! And don’t worry, I think I’m physically incapable of sleeping in._ She considered her text for a moment before adding a smiley face and sending it off. Kara texted with smiley faces all the time and now it seemed almost rude not to include one in her messages.

Lena put down her phone and turned once more to her desktop computer. Before she could even open up her email, her phone chimed again. Lena smiled as she picked it up, pleased but also confused by the attention. She instantly brightened upon reading the new message.

_I heard you were up! Wanna have breakfast with me?_

The message was from Kara, and Lena's heart fluttered uncontrollably as she took in the message. She didn’t hesitate before sending off a reply. _Yes I’d love to! Where and when?_

A second later Kara replied, _How about my place? In half an hour? I’ll make pancakes!_

Lena bit her bottom lip unconsciously as she smiled down at her phone, all thoughts of L-Corp and R&D reports wiped from her mind. None of her employees were going to check their work email on the weekend, anyway. Before she could reply, her phone chimed once more.

_They’ll have chocolate chips in them!_

A warm, fluttery feeling seemed to float up through Lena's fingertips and into her chest at the thought of Kara wanting to spend time with her. She sent off a reply immediately. _I’ll bring the orange juice :)_

Kara 

Kara beamed at her phone as she read Lena’s latest message. She was excited to see her friend again, even though she had seen Lena literally just a few hours before. Kara didn't think about why she suddenly found herself craving the black-haired beauty's presence lately, choosing instead to busy herself with looking through cupboards and gathering ingredients for pancakes, her absolute favorite breakfast food. She hummed happily as she began cooking.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Kara heard a knock on her door. She ran to open it, grinning as she laid eyes on an equally delighted Lena. “Lena!” Kara exclaimed as she pulled her friend in for a hug, “I hope you’re hungry! I made lots of pancakes.”

Lena chuckled as Kara stepped aside to let her in. “You know, I am a bit hungr - oh,” Lena gaped, a single perfect eyebrow raising as she caught sight of the veritable mountain of pancakes Kara had stacked on the dining table. “Wow you weren’t kidding! Is someone else joining us for breakfast? A high school basketball team, perhaps? Or an army?”

Kara blushed, but she knew that Lena was only joking with her. Lena knew from their many lunches together that Kara liked to eat. “No silly, they’re all for us! Let me just finish up this last batch and we can start eating.”

Kara moved back to the stove as Lena placed the jug of orange juice she had brought and moved towards the cupboard to grab plates and utensils. Kara smiled at her as she did so. She liked the way that they moved around the kitchen like they had done this a million times before.

“I’m really glad you invited me, Kara,” Lena said as she set the table. “I’m actually really hungry. I guess drinking last night took a lot out of me because I don’t usually eat breakfast -“ Kara gasped suddenly, causing Lena to turn swiftly, eyes searching the tall blonde to see if she was okay.

Kara felt bad for causing alarm, but she couldn’t help herself. “You don’t eat breakfast?!?” Kara said in horror. She adjusted her glasses, which had slid down her nose slightly as she gaped at Lena.

Lena sighed in relief as she realized that Kara wasn’t hurt and was soon giggling at the look of mingled shock and disbelief on her friend’s face. “No, I usually just have a cup of coffee in the mornings,” Lena said, shrugging.

“But Lena, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” Kara exclaimed. “How are you supposed to have enough energy throughout the day if you don’t eat in the morning? It doesn’t have to be something big, you know. An apple is good, or a banana….or pancakes, or chocolate croissants…” Kara gestured with her ladle, pancake batter flying off it at all angles, as she began reciting possible breakfast foods, listing off more and more unhealthy choices as she went along “-or donuts! Donuts are always good-”

Kara could have gone on forever but Lena, who had been watching her ramble on with a steadily widening smile, interrupted her. “Kara, your pancake is going to burn,” she pointed out. “And you’re getting pancake batter everywhere,” she laughed.

“Oh, right!” Kara turned to scoop up the decidedly darkened pancake. She added it to the large stack beside her as she turned off the stove and turned around. “That’s the last of them! We’re ready to - oh.” Kara gasped softly as she turned to see Lena standing unexpectedly close to her. For a moment she didn't know what to do with her hands. She found them gravitating towards Lena's hips (they were _sooo_ close) but decided against it, opting to rest them on the stove behind her. She didn't even notice that her left palm was in dangerous proximity to the hot surface because Lena had moved ever so slightly closer to her and Kara suddenly found her mouth dry. She gulped.

“Sorry,” Lena said innocently, although the look in her eyes suggested that she was _not_ sorry - not sorry at all. “I was just going to grab those pancakes for you,” she smiled sweetly up at the tall blonde. Lena was wearing flat sneakers today and Kara suddenly realized how much shorter Lena was than her. The CEO had always seemed tall and imposing - those four inch heels she regularly wore at L-Corp certainly made a sizeable difference - but today she looked tiny…. And cute. Kara saw Lena sneak a glance towards her lips and felt a slight twinge in her chest.

“Um,” Lena chuckled softly, “You’ve got a bit of batter on your face.”

“Oh!” Kara felt herself turn beet red. She palmed at her cheek self-consciously. “Here?” she asked.

“No, let me,” Lena reached toward her and Kara found herself holding her breath as Lena’s thumb brushed lightly against a spot just slightly south of her lower lip, her other fingers resting lightly on Kara’s chin as she did so. “Got it,” Lena said as she dropped her hand. Kara's skin seemed to burn where Lena's fingers had just been and Kara suddenly found herself wishing that Lena would put them back. Lena's voice was soft, and Kara breathed again, noticing the sweet smell of Lena’s perfume. Her raven-haired friend hadn’t moved away. She was looking at Kara, an expression of slight wonder in her face. _She’s standing so close_ …. Kara found herself leaning forward, almost without realizing, just slightly closer…..

A loud knock sounded at the door and Kara jumped back from Lena as suddenly as if she had received an electric shock. They both looked toward the front entrance as Alex and Maggie entered, Alex calling “Kara! I know you’re home, I could smell pancakes from all the way down the hall!”

Kara stood stock-still, somewhat shocked by what had just happened. What had _almost_ happened. Lena, however, smoothly sidestepped the blonde and grabbed the stack of pancakes beside the stove. “Hey guys!” she greeted the couple cheerily as she walked towards the dining table to add the large stack of fluffy pancakes she was carrying to the two other stacks Kara had placed there earlier.

“Lena! What’s up?” Maggie said gleefully, glancing curiously between the seemingly imperturbed raven-haired CEO and Kara, who was standing by the stove with a slightly dazed look.

“Hey Lena! Did you also come here for my sister’s world-famous pancakes?” Alex asked.

Lena laughed lightly, glancing towards Kara. “Well I didn’t know they were world-famous, but Kara’s been instructing me on the importance of a healthy breakfast so I thought I’d give it a try.”

Alex snorted. “Hah! Kara? Eat a healthy breakfast? I don’t think Kara’s eaten anything healthy for breakfast since she was thirteen and discovered donuts.”

This spurred Kara into action, and she marched forward to defend herself. “Hey, that’s not true! I ate apples once for breakfast!”

Alex raised an eyebrow at her younger sister and scoffed incredulously as she shrugged out of her jacket and threw it onto the back of a dining chair with impressive precision. “Correction: you ate an apple _pie_ for breakfast.”

Kara blushed yet again. She spluttered as she tried to think of the last time she had eaten anything even remotely healthy - but unfortunately she was drawing a blank. Thankfully, Maggie took mercy on her. “Alright kids, how about we call it a draw? Kara, Alex has been absolutely gushing about your pancakes and I think she forgot to ask: is it okay if we join you and Lena for breakfast?”

Kara smiled widely at the detective. “Of course, Maggie! You’re always welcome here! I’ll grab some more plates and cups,” she skipped towards the kitchen once more. She pretended to rummage around the kitchen cabinets, taking the time to compose herself as Lena, Maggie, and Alex chatted comfortably behind her.

What in the world had just happened? What _would_ have happened if Alex and Maggie hadn't walked in when they did? Kara had never felt so out of control before, not even when she was first trying to grasp her powers on this strange planet. At least then she knew what she wanted her hands and feet to do - her only problem was that she had trouble estimating the amount of strength to put behind her actions. But this - this was like her body was moving of its own accord, gravitating towards Lena like she was being pulled by a thousand tiny invisible strings.

Her heart was beating fast - more quickly even than the time she had raced Barry Allen across the desert. She felt similar to how she did then - her heart racing, slightly out of breath, giddy as though she was experiencing an endorphin rush. Except this time she felt an unexpected tingling feeling that seemed to center itself directly behind her sternum. _What the hell?_ Kara thought. The last time she had felt something like that was when she used to get flustered around…..James. Back when she used to like James.

 _But that would mean_ \- Kara turned to face the dining room with plates and cups in hand, and her heart skipped a beat as her gaze immediately fell upon her friend, the beautiful genius Lena Luthor who was, at the moment, laughing with ease at one of Alex’s jokes - _oh Rao_. Kara gulped. _I like Lena_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> Thank you for all your kind comments and kudos! I apologize for taking such an incredibly long time to write this chapter. It's been a really crazy time for me, but I'm hoping to write with a bit more frequency from now on. 
> 
> Let me know what you think of the new chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Lena  
  
Lena was confused. It wasn't a feeling she was much accustomed to, but Kara had been acting….strange.  
  
Lena thought back to the last time she had seen her friend, at the meal she had shared with Kara, Alex, and Maggie five days ago at Kara's apartment. It had been a nice breakfast, or at least Lena had believed so. But Kara had been acting slightly jumpy on Saturday and since then hadn’t come by for an interview, had bailed on their weekly Monday lunch date, and had barely texted Lena at all. Lena dwelled on this for some time before taking a deep breath, rolling her eyes at herself. _It’s not like Kara’s life revolves around you, Luthor_. She shook her head and attempted to concentrate on the proposal she was supposed to be reading. She had little success, as her traitorous mind insisted on analyzing all the little moments she had shared with Kara recently instead of on the graphs she was trying to look at. Had she messed up, somehow? Did she do something to make Kara not want to hang out with her anymore?  
  
Lena had thought things were going well between them….more than well, if she was being honest. Before Alex and Maggie had shown up on Saturday, Lena had thought that she and Kara were having a moment. In fact, she had thought Kara had been leaning in to kiss her when Maggie and Alex interrupted. _It must’ve been my imagination_ , Lena thought to herself. _Wishful thinking._ Because in what world would Kara ever see her as more than a friend?  
  
Lena had to remind herself that she never expected Kara to like her back and that she shouldn't let her hopes rise to the point where she thought she might actually stand a chance with the beautiful reporter. She sighed. _Kara’s too good for you_ , a little voice in her head said. A voice that sounded curiously like her adopted mother’s. _It's never going to happen, Luthor._  
  
The thought of it saddened Lena, but she knew she was right. When would she, a Luthor, ever be good enough for the perfect ray of sunshine that was Kara Danvers? _Never_ , she thought desolately.  
  
Kara  
  
Kara sighed heavily from her perch on her couch where she had been sitting for the past thirty minutes, deep in thought. Earlier that evening, she had finally caught the latest Fort Rozz escapee that had been terrorizing National City, who had been selling off alien weapons and blackmailing innocent alien immigrants into working for him. Kara’s week had been incredibly busy, her attention focused on playing a dangerous cat and mouse game with the violent alien gangster, tracking down the smuggled weapons, and trying to sort out which of the aliens under the gangster’s thumb had been blackmailed and which were on his payroll. Even with the full power of the DEO behind her and Guardian’s help, it had taken a lot of effort to catch this particular alien. He was almost as strong and fast as Kara and had the added advantage of foresight, which made him a formidable opponent in a fight. Kara had almost blown out her powers fighting him, but she, Alex, and Guardian had finally overpowered him by working together and overwhelming his psychic ability.  
  
At Alex’s command, Kara had left the processing of her latest arrest to the DEO and had returned home for some much needed rest and relaxation. She had changed from her Supersuit into comfortable sweatpants and was contemplatively devouring an entire gallon of chocolate ice cream, staring unseeingly at an old black and white musical that was playing on the television.

Kara had barely a spare second to think with the busy week she’d had, but now that things had calmed down she found her mind turning to the thought that had been nagging at her subconscious since Saturday: her newly realized feelings for Lena. When she really thought about it, Kara wasn’t all that surprised by her revelation. Lena was, after all, incredibly kind, smart, driven, generous, and brave. The CEO had breezed into National City, enigmatic yet prepared to defy all the expectations that came with her last name by turning L-Corp into a force for good. Despite all the accusations that seemed to be aimed toward Lena at every little thing that went wrong in the city, she had held her head high and had quietly, repeatedly proven herself to be a good person. One of the best people Kara knew, in fact.  
  
Kara pondered over the immediate connection she had felt with Lena when they first met. Somehow, Kara had just known that Lena was trustworthy and had found herself being continually drawn to the CEO. It had started out with small interviews that Kara could easily have done over a phone call, but Kara took instead as opportunities to visit Lena’s office. Those interviews turned into lunches one day, Kara suggesting they eat and talk at the same time when she came upon the realization that Lena forgot to eat sometimes when she was working too hard (she was always working too hard). Finally, it had turned into weekly lunches between friends rather than interviews as Kara and Lena grew closer. Lena had slowly but surely become a very important part of Kara’s life, despite all the warnings she had heard from Alex, James, and Kal about trusting a Luthor. They just didn’t know Lena like she did.  
  
Alex was the easiest one to convince of Lena’s goodness. It took a considerable amount of time and she still kept her reservations, but Alex recognized how important Lena was to Kara. How could she not, when Kara talked about her new friend constantly? James had finally come around last week at the bar, and Kara smiled at the warm, fluttery feeling that spread through her chest as she remembered how well Lena had got on with everyone. As for Kal, well, he was all the way in Metropolis. Kara would deal with him later.  
  
Her thoughts, never straying away too long, returned to Lena. They had so much in common, both having been adopted and disillusioned by their parents. _Was that part of the attraction?_ Kara asked herself. She thought it might be. They understood each other through their common experiences. But it also helped that Lena was absolutely gorgeous, with her pitch black hair, emerald eyes, full lips, and a jaw that could cut diamond. Kara lost herself in her imaginings, Lena’s face swimming in her head.  
  
Her front door opened suddenly without warning, but Kara didn't panic. A little part of her mind had been following Alex’s heartbeat - which she always kept tabs on no matter how far apart they were - as it traveled from the DEO to right outside her door. She didn't look at her sister, but listened as Alex strode immediately to sit next to Kara, wordlessly wrapping a strong arm around Kara’s shoulders. Kara continued to stare off into space, showing no acknowledgement of her sister’s presence except to hold out a spare spoon. Alex gratefully accepted it, digging into the tub of chocolate ice cream Kara held in her lap while casting worried glances at her unusually reticent sister.  
  
Finally, after demolishing a third giant spoonful of ice cream, Kara let out a deep sigh and turned to the older Danvers, who was by then openly staring at her with barely concealed concern. It was not like Kara to keep silent for so long.  
  
“Alex, tell me again how you knew you liked Maggie?” Kara asked. Alex's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was not expecting Kara to start off their conversation like that.  
  
“Umm,” she said as she tried to figure out where Kara was going with this. “Well,” she continued thoughtfully, “I don't really know. It wasn't a conscious thought of 'wow, I like this girl’. It was more of a feeling, like…I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her, and I would find excuses to hang out with her. And eventually I started thinking about kissing her and -” Alex broke off, suddenly red-faced. “Well, you know,” she finished.  
  
Kara nodded, too distracted to notice her sister's embarrassment. Her thoughts were centered on Lena, on her emerald eyes that Kara couldn't help picturing when she closed her own, on the softness of her hand in Kara's...on her ruby red lips. _Rao, you're obsessed!_ Kara thought to herself. _Or just going through withdrawal._ Kara hadn't seen or talked to Lena in five long days and she missed her friend. Missed seeing her smile, making her laugh, giving her hugs. Kara shook her head gently in an effort to distract her mind from the path it would inevitably go down if she kept thinking about the beautiful CEO. _Rao, I've got it bad_ , Kara thought.  
  
Alex, ever watchful, gently bumped her shoulder against her sister’s. “Something's going on with you." It was a statement, not a question. Alex always knew when something was up with Kara. "Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.  
  
Kara debated whether or not she should confess her feelings for Lena to Alex. She knew Alex was the last person who would judge her for liking a woman, but she still wasn't sure how Alex would react to her liking a Luthor. They had seemed to get along quite well last week at the bar…. But then again, a lot of alcohol had been involved at the time. Kara decided that she wanted Alex to get to know Lena - the real Lena - better before telling her.  
  
Kara shook her head and smiled at her sister. “Not yet,” she told her.  
  
Alex looked at her, eyes searching, trying to find some clue that would tell her what was bothering her little sister. Ultimately she nodded, and Kara smiled at her gratefully. Alex knew Kara would talk to her when she was ready. “Well then, what are we watching tonight? I already called the pizza place and ordered delivery, it should be here any minute.”  
  
Kara instantly brightened at the mention of food, and she squealed excitedly. Alex laughed. Food never failed to make her sister forget her troubles. She tried to keep up as Kara started talking a mile-a-minute. “Oooh! I've really been wanting to watch this old movie, it's about two dogs and a cat that get lost and try to find their way home. Or this other one that's about….”  
  
Alex listened, making inputs when Kara stopped to take a breath like “Not that one, it's too sad”, or “how about a funny one instead?”  
  
They finally settled on a movie right before the pizzas arrived. As they started to watch Aladdin for the umpteenth time with pizzas in hand and, in Kara’s case, half a pizza already devoured, a thought came to Alex. “Hey, it’s been a tough week for all of us. How about we have a game night tomorrow?” Kara nodded excitedly at this. She couldn't speak - she was busy trying to cram a three-slice pizza sandwich of her own creation in her mouth. Alex continued. “How about we ask Lena to join? It would be fun, right?”  
  
Kara’s eyes widened and she hummed happily, almost choking on her pizza sandwich in the process. She swallowed hurriedly, “Really Alex? You want to invite Lena?”  
  
Alex gave her a knowing look she couldn't quite decipher. “Yeah, Lena was a big hit last week. Maggie's a big fan, James seems to like her, and Winn,” Alex gave a small chuckle, “I think Winn may be in love!”  
  
Kara had just taken a swig of beer and, upon hearing this, coughed and spluttered. “What?” She fixed a sharp look on her sister. “Winn likes Lena?”  
  
Alex couldn't help but smile at Kara's indignation. “Don't worry, I'm sure it's just a small crush. Winn wouldn't do anything about it. Remember, he thinks you and Lena are dating."  
  
In truth, in Kara's distracted state, she had forgotten about how she and Lena were supposedly a couple. She nodded once, forcefully. “Right! Winn would never go after someone I'm dating….or fake-dating. Or whatever.”  
  
Alex nodded, a slightly smug smile on her face. She turned back to the tv, but when she noticed Kara doing the same, asked “Aren't you going to text Lena to invite her?”  
  
“No,” Kara said, smiling softly. “I'll ask her in person tomorrow morning.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking : how dare I post a chapter with no direct Kara/Lena interaction??? Don't worry, that'll be fixed in the next chapter. For now, I wanted a little bit of sisterly love between Kara and Alex, since it's something I've been missing a bit on the show. 
> 
> I hope you notice the huge difference in the way Kara sees Lena and the way Lena sees herself. Looking from the outside, Lena is a very cool character who always has her emotions in check. But I always imaging Lena has self-esteem issues that stem from never being good enough for her mother. I hope it's not too much of a downer, but I want to show some growth in Lena's character as the story continues.
> 
> Anyway, as always your comments and kudos are much appreciated. I hope you like it! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Lena  
  
It was Friday morning when Lena finally saw Kara again. It was seven a.m. and she had already put in a solid hour of work when Jess's voice crackled over the intercom. “Ms. Luthor, Ms. Danvers is here to see you.”  
  
Lena, who had been staring in concentration at her computer, instantly broke out into a smile at the sound of Kara’s name. “Send her in, Jess. Thank you.” She stood and walked around her desk, smoothing out her dress quickly as her office door opened and Kara walked in with a timid smile on her face and a small paper bag in her hands.  
  
“Lena! Hi!” Kara said. She immediately walked over to the CEO and enveloped her in one of the hugs that Lena craved so much. Lena leaned into her gratefully. She had really been missing the cheerful reporter this week.  
  
“Hi Kara,” she smiled widely as Kara released her. “I haven't seen you in a while. What brings you by today?” She glanced at the paper bag Kara was fiddling with in interest. Lena tried not to rake her eyes over Kara’s form on the way, but she couldn't help but notice how cute Kara looked today in her burgundy dress and light gray cardigan.  
  
Kara smiled sheepishly. “I missed you,” she said simply, and Lena’s heart leapt. Kara missed her? For a moment, Lena forgot all the insecurities that had been building up in her over the past week of radio silence as she relished Kara's words. “I’m really sorry I had to cancel on Monday, but to make up for it,” Kara continued, holding up the paper bag in her hands, “I brought you breakfast!” She bounced excitedly and smiled at Lena, who was looking at her in surprise and wonder. “I mean, you told me that you don't eat breakfast usually and I've made it my mission to change that so I brought us some bagels from this amazing little shop downtown. It has salmon and avocado and it's _so_ delicious. I mean-” Kara backtracked slightly as a thought occurred to her “-that is, if you want one, I don't know if now is a good time or if you're not hungry or-”  
  
“Kara,” Lena interrupted the reporter before she could talk herself into a panic. She placed her hand reassuringly on Kara’s arm, ignoring the electric tingle she felt in the tips of her fingers as she did so. “I'm glad you came, I always have time for you.” She paused for a moment. “I missed you too,” she said, willing herself not to blush. She turned to lead them towards their usual spots on the couch but stopped suddenly as she glanced out the window, noticing the clear blue sky. “On second thought,” she said, “would you like to eat in the courtyard?”  
  
Kara brightened. “Yeah! That sounds great!”  
  
Lena smiled at her excitable friend and grabbed her coat. She led the way out the door and past Jess, who was barely able to conceal the gobsmacked expression she had at seeing her boss take a break for once. Lena chuckled lightly, “Jess, I'll be back in half an hour.”  
  
Lena led Kara into the elevator, which was still sitting empty on their floor from Kara’s arrival. There was plenty of space for the both of them and yet Kara stood close enough that Lena could feel her radiating warmth, even through the layers of both their coats. Kara hooked her arm through Lena’s and treated her to a radiant smile. Lena bit her lip gently, appreciating the unnecessary contact while simultaneously lamenting internally about how difficult it was going to be to get over someone as physically affectionate as Kara. She sighed inwardly, careful not to let any trace of her turbulent emotions show on her face. _This is going to be hard_ , Lena thought.  
  
Kara  
  
Kara was grateful that Lena had suggested they eat outside, where the distractions of the outdoors meant that her eyes were less likely to linger and give away her amorous inclinations. She did not, however, have this luxury on the elevator ride down with Lena. She immediately found herself drawn to the black-haired beauty. It was as though Lena was a magnet and Kara was made entirely of metal - Kara felt a pull towards Lena that made her want to hold her hand and run her fingers through dark locks, or better yet, to close the distance between her lips and Lena's. But Kara couldn't do any of that no matter how much she wanted to, so she settled for a more innocent touch and hooked their arms together.  
  
For a moment, Kara thought she saw a flash of something that looked like discomfort in Lena’s eyes and worried that the invasion of space was too much for her friend. She shot a worried smile at Lena and loosened her grip slightly, preparing to pull away if Lena was uncomfortable, but the CEO gave her a beautiful smile in return and Kara relaxed. As much as she could relax, anyway. There was something that being near Lena did to her - something she somehow hadn’t noticed before that sweet moment on Saturday, the first moment Lena had actually, literally taken her breath away. It made her heart beat faster, her breath come unevenly, and most of all it made her mind race with scenarios in which she professed her feelings to Lena and somehow, someway, Lena felt the same.  
  
The elevator ride was thankfully short, not allowing Kara’s overactive imagination to run away from her. Soon Kara and Lena were on the ground floor, the elevator doors parting to reveal a small crowd of early bird L-Corp employees waiting for their ride. The sounds of friendly chatter died almost instantly when the crowd caught sight of their enigmatic CEO, tall and imposing, in the elevator with a beautiful blonde on her arm. Kara stared back, wide-eyed - she wasn’t used to so many people looking at her. She ducked her head and brought her hand up to her glasses nervously as if to check that they were still there, still protecting her identity. In her peripheral, she saw Lena glance at her in concern before lifting up her chin and giving her employees a dazzling smile. “Good morning everybody!” she called, and suddenly all eyes were on her. She made eye contact with several people in the crowd and greeted several more by name as she strode confidently out of the elevator. She pulled Kara along with her gently, maneuvering her body to walk slightly in front of the blond reporter, shielding her from curious stares as much as she could.  
  
The crowd of workers parted to let them pass, a few of them returning Lena’s greeting with “Good morning, Miss Luthor.” Lena continued to smile gracefully as they made their exit, the murmur of Lena’s employees slowly returning with their every passing step. Kara breathed a small sigh of relief once they were out of the spotlight. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised by all the scrutiny. It must be unusual for L-Corp employees to see their boss out and about. She was usually busy in her office with meetings and paperwork or off in some far away city negotiating deals. When she was in National City, she often arrived early in the mornings before anybody else and left late in the evenings after most everyone had long gone home.  
  
“Are you okay?” Lena asked her, concern in her voice and in her soft eyes as they exited through the revolving doors and walked towards a bench near the large flowing fountain in the center of the courtyard. It was another beautiful day. The spring climate was still cold enough that they needed coats outside, but the sun was bright and warmed Kara’s skin. She felt the familiar buzzing in her chest that meant the earth’s yellow sun was recharging her powers.  
  
Kara smiled at her gratefully and glanced down shyly as they took their seats. “Yeah, thanks. I guess I’m not used to all the attention.”  
  
“That’s hard to believe. I’d imagine everybody would pay attention to someone as pretty as you.” Kara’s heart leapt and she looked up at Lena in surprise. The youngest Luthor wasn’t looking at her. She had turned upwards, eyes closed, drinking in the sunlight and savoring the cool, fresh air as it filled her lungs with every breath. Kara took the opportunity to admire Lena without being caught, taking in the way the sunlight lit up every perfect angle of her friend’s face and seemed to soak into her jet-black hair. Lena had a slight smile on her face. In that moment she looked so incredibly peaceful, like the simple act of stepping outside was enough to make all her troubles and stresses melt away. Kara felt her stomach swoop and her breath catch as she looked at her friend. Kara was a journalist, and a good one at that. She had hundreds of words at her disposal, and yet only one came to mind as she marveled silently.  
  
_Beautiful_ , Kara thought. _Absolutely beautiful_.  
  
And then Lena was looking back at her, and Kara felt her breath escape her once more. Lena's emerald eyes locked on to hers and her friend smiled mischievously. Kara was suddenly glad that Lena couldn’t read minds because when the dark-haired CEO smiled at her like that it did… _things_ to her. “So,” Lena said, “how about those bagels?”  
  
Lena  
  
Lena just didn’t seem to be able to keep her mouth shut around Kara. “I’d imagine everybody would pay attention to someone as pretty as you.” As soon as the words had fallen out of her mouth, Lena turned away from her friend, not wanting to see how Kara would react to her statement. She was sure that if she looked directly into Kara’s sky-blue eyes just then her friend would have no trouble seeing through the facade of innocent friendship that Lena tried so hard to keep up to protect herself. She was a reporter after all. It was her job to investigate things. _But then again, friends are allowed to compliment each other, right?_ Lena reasoned. She decided the best course of action was to just pretend she hadn’t said anything and, after taking a short moment to bask in the sunlight, turned back to Kara and gave her friend a smile. “So how about those bagels?” she asked, and Kara gave a little start.  
  
“Oh right!” Kara rummaged through the brown paper bag hurriedly and brought out two neatly packaged bagels, presenting one to Lena proudly. “And Alex says I don’t eat healthy. Look! It’s got salmon, that’s good for you, right? And avocado. And there’s even some lettuce in there. And I got the whole-grained bagels.” She took a huge bite and her eyes widened ecstatically. A look of pure bliss overtook her face as she sat there chewing.  
  
Lena chuckled and nibbled lightly on her bagel. She found Kara’s enthusiasm for food extremely endearing. She didn’t have the heart to tell her friend that bagels weren’t all that healthy, no matter how whole-grained they were (but she did have to admit that it tasted divine).  
  
They sat there eating in comfortable silence, enjoying the fresh air and the sounds of the city as it woke up. Cars zoomed past on the street nearby and people walked all around them, eager to get to work and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the two women sitting quietly in front of the fountain.  
  
Lena had only made it through about a quarter of her bagel when Kara finished hers in one last, large bite. She began speaking then, telling Lena about her week (the non-Super parts of it, at least), gushing about something awesome Alex had done, laughing at something Winn had said. Lena listened raptly as she ate, glad that she could now put faces to the names as Kara regaled her with stories of her friends. She loved hearing Kara talk, loved seeing how excited she got about her work and how much she cared about her sister and friends. Lena joined in once she was done with her bagel, telling Kara about the meetings she’d had and the new projects she was excited about. She had stopped worrying long ago that Kara might put her on the record, and she enjoyed the way their conversation flowed easily from one topic to the next. Lena marveled (not for the first time) at how simple, how effortless, it was to talk with Kara.  
  
Much too soon, Lena’s phone chimed and she tore her eyes away from Kara to check it. It was Jess, reminding her that she had a conference call in ten minutes. She sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she would have to spend the next hour trying to appease her board members, who were always dissatisfied with something or other. “I’m sorry Kara, I have a call in a few minutes. I should get back up to the office,” she said, grimacing.  
  
Kara pouted adorably and Lena laughed. Then Kara gasped dramatically, causing Lena to jump slightly. “Sorry Lena,” she said, putting a calming hand on Lena’s arm, “but I forgot I came here to ask you something! Are you free to hang out tonight?”  
  
Lena’s smile returned at Kara’s question and she checked her phone calendar quickly. “My last call should finish at about 8:30. Why, what did you have in mind?”  
  
Kara bounced up and down in excitement. “We’re having a last-minute game night at my apartment tonight! Do you want to come? The whole gang will be there.”  
  
Lena’s smile grew impossibly wide and she glanced down shyly, biting her lip in an effort to get the look of glee on her face under control. “I’d love to,” she said happily. “What should I bring?”  
  
“Nothing but yourself!” Kara said immediately. “Unless,” she said as a idea came to her, “if you want to bring a six-pack of Heineken, you could. That’s Alex’s favorite beer,” she said, blushing for some unknown reason.  
  
“Done,” Lena said, smiling warmly at the other woman. “And now I really must go. I’ll see you tonight, Kara.” She stepped in tentatively to give her friend a hug and Kara did not disappoint, her warm arms wrapping around Lena securely. Lena took the opportunity to enjoy the feeling of Kara’s strong arms around her and the way their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly. Kara smelled deliciously of daisies and vanilla. With surprise, Lena noted that even through the layers of clothing between them, she could feel Kara’s heartbeat thumping powerfully against her chest, impeccably matching the cadence of her own heart.  
  
“I can’t wait,” Kara said softly, her breath tickling Lena’s neck. They released each other and Lena waved goodbye as she hurried back to L-Corp, smiling all the way back up to her office.  
  
…………………..................  
  
Lena’s good mood lasted throughout the day as she breezed through the mountain of paperwork on her desk. Not even the conference call with the L-Corp board, many of whom had unrealistic demands to move up the deadlines on several R &D projects, could take the smile off her face. She had even once or twice found herself whistling a happy tune, earning a pleased, if puzzled, look from Jess when she came in to drop off some reports.  
  
At five o’clock, Lena sent Jess home (“It’s Friday night Jess, I’m sure you have something more fun to do than work”). The insistent noises of daily office life slowly faded away as the hours passed and people went home. Lena soon found herself alone in a quiet building, wrapping up a successful phone call with the head of L-Corp’s Paris branch, who assured her that they were well on their way to reaching their quarterly goals. Lena made a few final notes on her computer as she hung up, then glanced at her watch and smiled. _It’s only 8:15, I can get to Kara’s a little early_.    
  
Content with the work she had done that day, Lena switched off her computer and texted her driver that she was ready to be picked up. She stood up and stepped back into her heels, which had lain forgotten on the floor beneath her desk since the last face-to-face meeting she’d had that day. Stepping to the small refrigerator she kept hidden in her liquor cabinet, Lena pulled out the pack of beer she’d had Jess order in earlier that day and, armed with alcohol, set off for Kara’s apartment.  
  
Kara  
  
It was eight o’clock and Kara was speeding around her apartment excitedly, making sure everything was nice and neat for her guests. She went over a quick checklist in her head to assure herself they’d have enough food and drinks. Alex and Maggie would be there any minute with the pizzas. James was bringing chicken wings, and Winn, Mon-el, and Lena were all bringing drinks. Kara was glad she had told Lena to bring Alex’s favorite beer. The two of them seemed to be getting along well enough, but it still wouldn’t hurt for Lena to get even further on Alex’s good side, right?  
  
Her door opened and in walked Alex, Maggie, and Winn. They must have drove together from the DEO. “Hey guys!” she said happily. She relieved Maggie and Alex of the stacks of pizzas they were carrying and placed them on the table before spinning around to give Winn, who was nearest, a big bear hug.  
  
“Hi Kara, ahh ahgh! Too hard!” Winn wheezed as Kara squeezed the breath out of him.  
  
“Oops, sorry!” she gasped. She released him immediately and moved to hug Alex and Maggie, taking care to be much more gentle.  
  
Soon after, James and Mon-el arrived. Kara hugged them both as well, although she had to pry Mon-el off her when he lingered a little too long. They all settled in the living room with their beers, chatting about their weeks. Kara insisted that they wait on Lena to start eating and thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long. Kara’s sensitive ears were on the lookout and soon they picked up a familiar set of footsteps outside in the hallway. “She’s here!” Kara yelled excitedly and ran to the front door. She pulled it open just as Lena was raising her hand to knock.  
  
“Lee! Come in!” Before Lena could even take a step, Kara wrapped her arms around her in a hug, picking her up and spinning her around so that she was inside the apartment.  
  
Lena laughed in surprise at the sudden movement, but didn’t hesitate to wrap her own arms around her friend. They lingered for a moment in each other’s embrace before - “Come on you two. She’s arriving from work, not from war. Hey Lena.” Alex interrupted them as the gang descended on the table to load their plates, each of them exchanging greetings with the new arrival.  
  
“Grab a plate, Lena,” Alex said. “And you can set those beers in the fridge. Nice choice, by the way.”  
  
Lena grinned at her and took in the scene. Winn and James had already loaded their plates with pizza and were talking animatedly about March Madness while Mon-el tried to follow along, occasionally asking strange questions (“what is biscuit-ball, anyway?”). Near the table, Maggie was trying to cajole an unconvinced Alex into trying a piece of vegan pizza. “They look very cute together," Lena whispered to Kara, who was still standing close beside her, as Maggie finally got Alex to try a bite and Alex wrinkled her nose at her, unimpressed.  
  
“Don’t they?” Kara whispered back, as she watched her sister and girlfriend together. She glanced at Lena, who was still wearing her coat. “I’ll take your coat for you Lee!” she exclaimed as she relieved her friend of the pack of beers she’d brought, placing it gently on the kitchen counter. Lena smiled at her gratefully and shrugged out of her favorite burgundy trench coat.  
  
“I’m afraid I’m a little overdressed,” Lena grimaced. She was still wearing her work clothes, having come straight from L-Corp.  
  
“Maybe a little,” Kara admitted, smiling shyly. “Here, come with me,” Kara grabbed Lena’s hand and tugged the CEO towards her room, careful not to pull too hard. Kara led her to her dresser, rummaging around for a minute while Lena looked around Kara's room in interest. “These should do!” Kara said as she turned around. In her hands was a long-sleeved light gray sweater and her favorite pair of comfy black jeans.  
  
“Oh!” Lena said in surprise. “You didn’t have to do that, Kara. I’d be okay in my clothes, it’s my own fault for not stopping by my apartment before coming here.”  
  
“Nonsense, Lee!” Kara said, and pushed the clothes into Lena’s hands. “Tonight’s about having fun, and you can’t have fun if you’re not comfortable.” She gently turned Lena around and, with a hand placed in the small of Lena’s back, guided her towards the bathroom. What she didn’t mention was that she liked the idea of Lena sharing her clothes and wanted to see Lena once more in a casual outfit. It was a side of her friend that she didn’t get to see often, and one that she enjoyed seeing immensely. Lena acquiesced quietly, shooting a grateful look at her friend as she closed the bathroom door.  
  
Kara gravitated to the food-laden table, trying with all her might to concentrate on the feast before her and not on the overwhelming fact that Lena was undressing in the very next room, just a thin sheet of drywall away. _Stop it,_ Kara told herself. _Don’t be weird. What would Lena think if she knew you were imagining her naked?_ Kara forced herself to focus on piling a slice from each of the four pizzas Maggie had brought over on her plate. She couldn’t help but inhale a slice of cheese pizza right there at the table. She had done a fair amount of flying that day and she was famished.  
  
She decided to wait for Lena before finding a seat amongst her chattering friends in the living room. Mon-el had a habit of switching seats to sit near her, but Kara wanted to make sure that it was Lena sitting beside her tonight. Soon enough Lena emerged from the bathroom, laying her neatly folded work clothes on Kara’s bed and walking towards her, smiling. Kara inhaled a slow, shaky breath, transfixed by the sight before her. The sleeves of her sweater hung off of Lena’s arms loosely, impeding her hands (they were a bit too long for her). She’d had to roll up the hems of Kara’s jeans a few times to make them fit, and she had abandoned her heels with the rest of her work clothes, choosing to go barefoot like Kara. As she padded softly towards Kara, she clumsily attempted to roll up the sleeves of her sweater to free her hands and Kara had to remind herself to breath. Lena just looked absolutely adorable.  
  
Kara abandoned her plate on the table and surged towards her friend. “Here, let me help,” she reached for Lena’s arms and started rolling up the sleeves neatly. Lena smiled up at her in thanks. “My clothes are a bit too long for you it seems,” Kara said apologetically. “We could try to find something else for you to wear if you’d like."  
  
Lena chuckled. “Thanks, but I don’t mind, really. They’re very comfortable. And they smell nice.” Was Kara imagining it, or did Lena blush a little bit when she said that? Kara bit her lip slightly and smiled shyly at her friend. She probably could have stood there forever, just staring at Lena, but the sound of Winn’s voice snapped her out of her reverie.  
  
“Game time! Come on slowpokes, get your food and get your butts over here!” Kara and Lena jumped slightly as each of them remembered that they weren't the only ones in the room. Lena threw a slice of veggie pizza onto a plate before the pair of them took seats on the couch next to Alex and Maggie.  
  
“First game is Trivial Pursuit,” Maggie said. “Go ahead boys and girls, pick your partner.”  
  
Immediately, several voices rang out simultaneously:  
  
“I call Kara!” Mon-el shouted.  
  
“I call Winn!” James said.  
  
“I call Lena!” Kara and Winn shouted, and Kara fixed Winn with a squinting glare.  
  
Maggie and Alex didn’t say anything, but joined hands, effectively claiming each other. Lena hadn’t said anything either, having been taken by surprise by the sudden barrage of noise and the fact that both Winn and Kara wanted her on their teams.  
  
“No fair Winn,” Kara said. “We can’t have two geniuses on one team.” She placed her hand on Lena’s knee, not noticing the increase in the brunette's heart rate at the contact. Kara remembered what Alex had said yesterday about Winn having a crush on Lena and all she could think was that she _really_ didn’t want them teaming up together. _Mine_ , she thought, then immediately scolded herself for being so possessive. She had no right to be, it wasn't like she and Lena were together.  
  
“She makes a good point,” James said, ever the voice of reason. “You and me can team up with Mon-el,” he said to Winn. He looked around at everyone else. “That’s okay, right?”  
  
Alex, Maggie, and Kara all nodded while Mon-el pouted. It didn’t matter if there were three of them on a team, since Mon-el really didn’t know enough about Earth yet to be a major player. Kara shot a triumphant smile at Lena, before leaning in and whispering to her friend. “I maybe should have mentioned that we get really _really_ competitive at game nights.”  
  
Lena winked at her and whispered back. “Don’t worry, I’ve got my own competitive streak. Between the two of us, I think we’ll smoke them.”  
  
Lena spoke the truth. She and Kara completely annihilated the competition. Lena was easily able to answer all the science, history, and geography questions with her educational background and experience with world travel, and Kara knew all the answers to the pop culture and literature questions. When the game ended, Kara and Lena grinned victoriously as Winn groaned, Maggie, James, and Mon-el laughed, and Alex, who hated losing, fumed.  
  
“Alright, alright,” Alex called over Kara’s and Lena’s jubilant laughter. “That was a blowout. You two aren’t allowed to team up anymore.” She ignored Kara’s pout at this and pulled out another game from the stack on Kara’s bookshelf. “But no matter, because this next game is the great equalizer.” Kara groaned, bumping her forehead into Lena’s shoulder because Alex was holding out Monopoly, a game she somehow always managed to win and Kara always, without fail, did worse out of anyone.  
  
Alex, ignoring her sister’s groan, continued dramatically. “This classic is a game of skill, of luck, of chance. Only the best and the brightest can achieve greatness here.” She paused, milking the moment. “And I happen to be the best and brightest, so prepare to get creamed losers.”  
  
They all laughed at her playful boast. “Yeah sure, babe,” Maggie said. “But you’re forgetting that we have an actual business mogul here in the room,” she added, pointing at Lena.  
  
Lena scoffed. “I highly doubt that will come into play here. I’ve never played this game before."  
  
Several pairs of eyes turned to her in surprise. “You’ve never played Monopoly before?” Kara asked, confused. She had thought that Monopoly was a staple in every kid’s life who grew up in America.  
  
Lena shifted uncomfortably, moving closer to Kara and slightly behind as if to shield herself from the sudden attention. “Well, I never really played games as a kid,” she said, then bit her lip as if immediately regretting her words. “Except for chess,” she added quickly, eager to prove that her childhood hadn’t been entirely devoid of fun things.  
  
Kara found herself wondering what childhood must have been like for Lena, growing up in the frigidity of the Luthor household. Her friend never talked about her past, or about her family at all except in passing statements in which the raw emotion in her voice was so evident that Kara always changed the subject soon after, not wanting Lena to dwell on memories that were so obviously painful. She looked into Lena’s eyes and saw a vulnerability there, as if her simple statement was really a tightly kept secret that Lena couldn’t believe she had just divulged. _Maybe it was_ , Kara thought.  
  
“Well, I’ve never played Monopo-whatever either,” Mon-el said, breaking the silence. Lena smiled at him tentatively and Kara could have kicked herself in that moment, because she wanted to be the one easing Lena’s worries, not Mon-el. She instantly began to teach them the rules as Alex and Maggie cleared away Trivial Pursuit and set up the Monopoly board. Somewhere along the way, she found herself grabbing hold of Lena’s hand, bringing it along on an intricate dance through the air as she gestured through her explanation. Lena didn’t complain at the sudden commandeering of her limb. She just smiled as Kara rambled through the ins and outs of the game, Winn and James chiming in whenever she forgot to mention something.  
  
Ironically, considering she was actually the leader of a multi-billion dollar firm, Lena didn’t win Monopoly - that title went to Alex, who smirked triumphantly as her winning streak continued - but she seemed to be having fun, judging by the smile on her face every time Kara looked at her (which, to be honest, was often). After Monopoly and several rounds of Clue (Maggie was the big winner there), the group took a break from games in favor of refilling their plates or grabbing more beers from the fridge.  
  
Kara smiled contentedly as she looked around at her big happy family. Alex and Maggie were chatting in the kitchen while James was patiently attempting to explain democracy to Mon-el (“Presibent? What’s a presibent?”) Lena was once again enthusiastically engaged in a highly technical conversation with Winn, this time about further applications of black body generators. Kara sat beside her, not even attempting to follow the conversation (they had lost her at ‘chemical vapor deposition’), but content with just listening to the sound of Lena’s voice. She loved seeing Lena like this - her friend was usually cool and collected but here she was, fully geeking out with Winn.  
  
Kara was happily contemplating the curve of Lena’s lips and the way she gestured excitedly with her hands when the sound of her name caught her attention. “Kara’s in luuuurv,” Maggie said in a singsongy voice.  
  
“I know, right?” Alex agreed. “Look at them, they’re basically attached at the hip.”  
  
“I ship it,” Maggie said. Kara’s face reddened and she turned to glare at the couple in the kitchen. They both just smiled, Maggie giving her a discreet thumbs up and a knowing wink. They had been whispering to each other, but of course Kara heard their words as clearly as if they were standing right in front of her. _I guess they know about my crush_ , Kara thought. _Am I really that obvious?_  
  
As if Alex could hear the question in Kara’s mind, she fixed her with a fond smile and nodded. Kara supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that Alex knew. Alex knew her better than anyone else in the world. In that moment, Kara couldn’t bring herself to be shocked or even embarrassed at the transparency of her feelings because Alex knew her secret and _she was okay with it._ She felt a sudden, overwhelming rush of affection for her sister and Maggie, who were looking back at her with understanding and support in their eyes. Kara grinned at them shyly.  
  
Lena  
  
After a few rounds of Pictionary that Kara and James won easily with their combined artistic abilities (Lena and Winn lost badly - they may both be geniuses, but neither of them could draw worth a damn), Lena noticed Maggie and Alex exchange a look, and Maggie smirked at Lena with a sudden devilish gleam in her eye. She yawned loudly, arms stretching over her head. “It’s getting pretty late, huh guys? I think Alex and I are going to head out now.” She fixed a look at James, and a sort of understanding seemed to pass between the two of them.  
  
James stood suddenly, glancing at Kara and Lena where they sat, millimeters apart, on the couch. “Yeah, I should get going too. I’ve got a…uh…thing in the morning. Winn, Mon-el, I can give you a ride home.” Winn and Mon-el both looked at him in disappointment - they obviously wanted to stay, but neither of them wanted to catch a cab so they stood up reluctantly.  
  
In the next few minutes there was a whirlwind of activity as the group exchanged goodbyes. Before she could register the sudden turn of events, Lena found herself in a warm embrace - Maggie was hugging her. Shocked, Lena had barely any time to return the gesture before Maggie released her, giving her a knowing wink. “Have a good night,” she said suggestively, eyes glancing between her and Kara. Lena had a sudden suspicion that the detective knew exactly how she felt about a certain blond reporter.  
  
Before she had time to dwell on the thought, Maggie had moved to say goodbye to Kara and was replaced by Alex. Lena found herself once again surprised by a warm embrace. “See you later, Lena,” she said, and Lena smiled because it sounded like a promise when Alex said it, as if she was welcoming Lena into their tight-knit group of friends.  
  
James patted her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he said goodbye. Winn gave her a nervous hug and walked after James with many promises to call her if he made any breakthroughs in the plasma technology they had been talking about. Mon-el gave both her and Kara hugs that lasted just a smidge longer than necessary and winked as he said goodbye. Lena frowned and tried not to think too much about that.  
  
The sudden onslaught of physical affection had taken Lena by surprise - she had barely moved as each of her new friends took her in their arms (the word ‘friends’  whirled round and round in Lena’s head because she supposed that’s what they had become to her now). She managed to stammer out goodbyes to each of them and, in Winn’s case, promises to work together in the near future. Very quickly, the others had left and Kara was closing the door behind them.  
  
Kara kept her back turned to her for a moment after she closed the door and Lena took the opportunity to admire the lines of Kara’s neck and the way her blond curls cascaded from her ponytail, brushing just slightly against the exposed skin above her collar. The air between them suddenly felt charged, and Lena felt her chest buzz in a way that had nothing to do with the beers she had drank that night and everything to do with the memory of the last time the two of them were here, alone, in Kara’s apartment.  
  
She tore her eyes away from the tall blonde, looking instead at her watch. It was one a.m. Lena sucked in a surprised breath at how quickly the hours had passed. “I, uh, I should probably leave as well,” she said. “I’m sure you’re tired, Kara.” She pulled out her phone and was in the process of dialing her driver when Kara’s hand was on her arm. Lena looked up at her in surprise. She hadn’t heard Kara walk towards her.  
  
“I am tired,” Kara said. “But that doesn’t mean you have to leave. It’s too late to call your driver. You could just…sleep here.”  
  
Lena looked into Kara’s beautiful blue eyes and cursed herself in that moment. She cursed herself because she knew it was a bad idea to sleep here, to let herself be so close to Kara knowing full well that Kara didn’t feel the same way that she did, that every touch they had shared that night was purely to keep up appearances for Mon-el’s sake. Lena cursed herself because she knew that every moment she shared with Kara now would only hurt her later on when she would finally have to come to terms with the fact that she had, in fact, fallen deeply and unequivocally in love with the woman standing in front of her. She cursed herself because she knew all this, knew that her pain would only be intensified if she stayed, and yet couldn’t find it in her to say no to anything Kara asked of her. She nodded wordlessly and Kara smiled that big beautiful smile of hers. Even with all the negative thoughts flurrying through Lena’s mind, Lena couldn’t help but smile back, because she would endure any amount of pain if it meant making her friend smile.  
  
They didn’t speak much as Kara led her to the bathroom, giving her a toothbrush to use and some pajamas to sleep in. Lena laughed lightly because the pajama bottoms Kara gave her were identical to her favorite pair at home. “I bought those after I saw yours,” Kara admitted shyly.  
  
“I guess I’m a trendsetter in sleepwear,” Lena chuckled.  
  
Once her teeth were brushed, Lena moved towards the couch. “Good night Ka-“ she started to say, but was interrupted.  
  
“Where are you going?” Kara asked thickly. She frowned at Lena from the bathroom doorway, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.  
  
Lena looked back at her with confusion on her face. “To the couch. To sleep.”  
  
“Don’t be silly, Lee. There’s more than enough room in the bed for both of us.”  
  
Lena’s mind was never, ever quiet but at Kara’s words, it went fully, uncharacteristically blank. Those words caused a paradox of emotions in her, because they were exactly what she wanted to hear but also the exact opposite of what she wanted to hear. Yet again, Lena found that she couldn’t say no to Kara, didn’t really want to say no, so she let her feet carry her to Kara’s bed. Kara smiled at her and walked back into to the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth.  
  
Lena climbed under the sheets and stared up at the ceiling. Soon enough she heard the soft padding of Kara’s feet coming nearer. She felt the mattress adjust as Kara got into bed beside her. “I’m going to turn off the light, is that okay?” Kara asked. Lena looked at her and nodded, not trusting herself to speak in that moment. Kara smiled at her and reached to the lamp on her bedside table. For a second, Lena could see the well-defined muscles of Kara’s back peeking out from her tank top and then - darkness.  
  
Lena remained still as Kara settled into her spot. In the darkness, her other senses seemed to intensify and Lena was suddenly hyper-aware of the steady cadence of Kara’s breath, of every rustle of the sheets that followed each of Kara’s small movements. She smelled the familiar scent of vanilla that clung to Kara’s skin.  
  
Lena was trying to think of something, anything, other than the proximity of the woman she was in love with (because she might as well admit it, she was in love with Kara), when -  
  
“You sure get along really well with Winn,” Kara said suddenly.  
  
“Yeah,” Lena said, smiling fondly as she stared blindly up at the ceiling in the darkness. “He’s easy to talk to. I’m sorry, I guess I kind of highjacked your best friend tonight, didn’t I?” She felt Kara shift to face her. A puff of Kara’s breath brushed her face, causing a strand of Lena's hair to tickle her cheek softly. She smelled of spearmint toothpaste. Lena squeezed her eyes shut and tried hard to control her breathing, which she was suddenly very much aware of.  
  
“Do you like him?” Kara asked, and Lena’s eyes shot open in surprise. She looked over, trying to make out Kara’s expression, but could only see her friend's outline in the faint moonlight that shone through the window.  
  
“Yes,” she answered honestly.  
  
“Oh.” Did Kara sound…disappointed?  
  
Lena felt a sudden need to clarify her statement. “As a friend.” She gulped. “Not as…anything more.”  
  
“Oh,” Kara said again. She sounded different this time. Lighter. As if she was relieved that Lena didn’t want to make a move on her best friend. Lena tried not to read too much into it.

To distract herself, Lena started thinking about the technology she and Winn had discussed that night. If she could adjust her black body generator just a bit, she could possibly use it to pull alien technology towards it like a magnet instead of just having the technology fly up into the air. Her mind ran through the technicalities of it - a little rewiring here, some additional components there. She decided to run her ideas by Winn the next day.

As always, thinking about her inventions calmed her. It took a few minutes, but she finally succeeded in letting her thoughts carry her away from her romantic anxieties and closer to sleep. Her breath was slowly starting to deepen and even out when Kara's voice floated to her once more through the darkness.  
  
“Lee?” Kara said.  
  
“Yes Kara?”  
  
There was a pause. Then-

“Winn’s not my only best friend. You are too.”  
  
Lena took a deep, shaky breath. She felt a prickling in the back of her eyes and she held her breath, willing herself not to tear up at the sudden flood of emotion that threatened to overtake her. It took her a few moments before she felt she could speak again.  
  
“Kara?” she said softly, her voice slightly hoarse with the effort of trying to keep her emotions in check.  
  
“Yes Lena?” Kara’s voice came even more softly in the darkness, sleepiness weighing down each syllable.  
  
“You’re my best friend too.”  
  
A warm wave of happiness like Lena had never known flooded over her and she was suddenly glad that she had stayed. It still hurt, to have Kara near but to not _have_ Kara, but the pain was worth it. Lena smiled into the darkness. If it meant having a best friend like Kara, it was absolutely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Here's a new chapter for you. We're getting closer and closer to the moment of truth for Kara and Lena. One of them is going to have to confess their feelings soon...
> 
> As always, I live and breath for your comments and kudos. You have no idea how happy it makes me to read your kind comments. Please let me know what you think, I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticism. You're also more than welcome to share this story on Tumblr or wherever.
> 
> Cheers


	8. Chapter 8

Kara 

 

The first thing Kara noticed upon waking was the soft, sweet smell of brown sugar and something flowery that she couldn’t quite name but which brought back bittersweet memories of blooming springtime on Krypton. Kara kept her eyes shut as she focused on that scent, that unusual, but delicious, mixture of aromas that she had recently come to associate with the feeling of butterflies fluttering and stuttering heartbeats. To anybody else, the scent would be faint – pleasant, but barely noticeable. But to Kara, it was overwhelmingly evident. It overtook her senses, dazed her until she felt like she couldn’t speak, she could only _breath._ She drowned in it, and yet she did so gladly because that sweet smell belonged to Lena.

 

Lena, who’s smile never failed to bring out Kara’s own.

 

Lena, who’s every touch left Kara’s skin tingling.

 

Lena, who’s laughter sounded like the most beautiful music Kara had ever heard.

 

Lena, who was _in her bed._

Kara’s eyes snapped open and she looked immediately to her right to make sure that Lena really was there, that her presence hadn’t just been some dream her besotted mind had conjured as she slept. She sighed in relief as her gaze lit upon the shock of black hair splayed gracefully over white pillows and followed it down to the sleeping face of the woman she was so very infatuated with.

Lena was lying on her side, knees curled almost to her chest and both hands clutching tightly to the pillow she slept on. She was frowning slightly as she dreamed, eyebrows coming together to create a little valley between them. Kara wondered what it was that was worrying Lena so much and robbing her of peace even in her deepest sleep. She longed to reach out and smooth that eyebrow crinkle with a gentle touch or, better yet, a kiss.

But she resisted this temptation because Lena was sleeping and vulnerable and probably wouldn’t like to be woken up by a handsy Kryptonian pawing at her face.

Instead, Kara contented herself with just looking - not that there was any downside to looking at Lena Luthor. The woman was absolutely, unforgettably, drop-dead gorgeous. Kara’s eyes traced over every line and angle of Lena’s face, taking the time to memorize as much of it as she could because she didn’t know when she might have another chance to look at Lena like this – at least not without her genius friend taking notice and figuring out Kara’s crush. She reveled in letting her eyes roam freely, taking note of the color of Lena’s lips which she so rarely saw without lipstick, the shape of her cheekbones, that little scar on her right eyebrow (Kara made a mental note to ask Lena how she got that).

It wasn’t long before the peacefulness of the morning was interrupted by the sound of a siren reaching Kara’s ears. She quickly zeroed in on the source, immediately focusing on the garbled chatter of the police radios that came from the same direction – there was a robbery in progress at a gas station convenience store, the suspect was armed and dangerous. Kara’s mind went into superhero mode and she speeded out of bed and into her supersuit, taking care not to jostle Lena in the process. She spared a quick worried glance at the sleeping figure before she left – what if Lena woke up while she was gone? She considered it for a second. Kara didn’t think it would take very long to dispatch the armed robber and it didn’t look like Lena would be waking up anytime soon. Kara knew it was a bit reckless, but she decided she could be gone and back before Lena woke up.

As Kara had suspected, the mission was short and simple. One well-placed kick was enough to knock the robber’s gun away, at which point the poor guy decided he’d rather surrender than risk getting a hand kicked off next. Not that Kara would ever do such a thing, but she had to admit that she was getting better with her “don’t mess with me I can literally rip your arm off” face.

The police arrived not too long after. Kara stayed only to give a short statement and to listen kindly to the profuse statements of thanks from the convenience store clerk. She smiled as she took off, waving to a group of early-morning joggers who stared up at her in awe as she zoomed past. She was in a great mood. The day had only just begun and she’d already saved someone after waking up next to Lena Luthor. _Not a bad way to start the weekend,_ she thought, grinning.

She took a few laps around the city to make sure everything was peaceful. She knew she was cutting it close, that Lena could wake up at any minute and she would be forced to somehow sneak past and change into her Kara-clothes before Lena noticed. The thought of it made her nervous, but a large part of her wanted to risk it, wanted to get caught so that she could finally tell Lena the truth and stop lying to her newly appointed best friend.

She pondered this as she soared high above the city. Really, when she thought about it, there was nothing stopping her from telling Lena she was Supergirl. True, she would get in trouble with Jonn at the DEO. And granted, Alex would probably kill her for letting yet another person into her steadily widening secret circle. But ultimately, it was Kara’s decision to make and she knew Alex and Jonn would eventually understand. Really, the only thing holding her back was her own fear. Her fear that Lena wouldn’t accept her, or would be mad for not telling her sooner. But Kara dismissed these worries easily. She knew Lena. She knew that Lena would understand Kara’s need to keep her alter-ego secret. And she had seen the way Lena looked at her the few times Kara had met with her as Supergirl – Lena seemed to genuinely like the hero of National City.

No, what Kara was really afraid of was something deeper than that. Kara was afraid that telling Lena she was Supergirl would change the way her friend looked at her. She was afraid that the warmth of Lena’s gaze would be marred by fear of Kara, fear of what she could do with her super-strength and powers, fear of how she could so easily break Lena without even trying. Lena wouldn’t say anything about it, Kara was sure of that. But what would happen the next time Kara tried to hug her? Would she flinch away? The thought of it made her chest twinge - more on an emotional level than a physical one, but almost unbearably painful nonetheless.

Kara took a deep breath as she floated hundreds of feet in the air and took the time to admire the tail end of the sunrise. Sunrises and sunsets were her favorite because they were the only times the Earth’s yellow sun appeared red, reminding her of Rao’s light. Thinking of Rao fortified her and strengthened her resolve. Kara was no stranger to fear, and she wasn’t one to give in to it. Hell, she had traveled 27 light years in a spaceship by herself when she was only thirteen years old. She had fought aliens twice her size, had stood up to her long-lost family when Astra and Non tried to set off Myriad. She had flown Fort Rozz into space, fully prepared to give up her life for this planet that she had sworn to protect. She had been scared out of her mind on every occasion, but she hadn’t let that stop her from doing what was right. This situation was no different. She couldn’t keep pretending that lying to Lena was the right thing to do anymore, that she was keeping Lena safe by keeping her secret. If anything, telling Lena the truth was the safest path because it meant the Luthor would be fully informed of what she was getting into by being friends with Kara. She deserved to make her own decisions about whether she was willing to risk her life by being friends with Supergirl or if she wanted nothing more to do with her.

Kara’s heart ached as she considered the possibility of Lena’s rejection, but Lena deserved the truth. She deserved Kara’s honesty and trust. Because Kara did trust Lena. She trusted her not to judge Kara for keeping her secret for so long, to not tell anybody who Supergirl really was. Still, Kara was scared. She was scared that sharing her secret may ruin any semblance of a chance to be with Lena (Kara didn’t believe Lena even liked women, how was she supposed to like an honest-to-goodness _alien_ on top of that?). But she also knew there wouldn’t be _any_ chance for the two of them if Kara couldn’t be completely honest.

Kara took another deep breath, enjoying the rush of cool morning air in her lungs and the lightheartedness she suddenly felt. She had made her decision. She would tell Lena she was Supergirl, and deal with the consequences as they came.

She focused on her breathing as she turned and soared in the direction of her apartment, trying not to hyperventilate as her nerves built exponentially with each passing second. The wind roared in her ears as she flew and she tried to concentrate on that sound, rather than on the sound of her own rapidly beating heart. She zoomed into her apartment, taking care not to let anyone see the flash of red and blue as she speeded through her open window. She paused for a second in the living room, analyzing the cacophony of sounds bombarding her ears until she focused in on the slow steady intakes and exhales that signified that Lena was still there and still very much asleep.

Kara floated to her bedroom doorway, not touching down to avoid any sounds that may occur if she stepped on her creaky wooden floors. As expected, Lena was still sleeping soundly, curled into herself as she had been when Kara left. Kara grinned at the sight. Lena had wrapped herself in a cocoon made up of Kara’s comforter and the blonde had to stifle a laugh as she realized that Lena, who was one of the most selfless people Kara knew, was also a complete and total blanket hog. It was adorable.

She must have not been quiet enough because Lena took a sudden deep breath, green eyes opening slowly, taking in the unfamiliar environment with a frown before realization hit and her face relaxed into a small smile. She frowned again slightly as she reached out to run a hand over the empty spot beside her.

Kara watched all these movements carefully, studying Lena’s face as it flickered quickly through each passing emotion. A fresh wave of panic threatened to overtake the blonde, and she felt her heart thundering so loudly in her chest that she wondered how it was the Lena couldn’t hear it across the tiny expanse of the bedroom. A hundred super-sped up thoughts flickered through Kara’s mind. _What if this isn’t the best way to do this? What if Lena will hate me for ruining her morning? What if Lena’s not a morning person and this is the worst possible time to tell her?_

Kara considered chickening out and speeding to the bathroom to change before Lena saw her. She was almost about to turn away, when she looked once more at Lena’s face, seemingly frozen in time as she looked almost forlornly at the space Kara had left empty. Kara imagined that Lena would look at her much the same way if she found out months and months into their friendship about her secret, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want that at all, so she steeled herself to tell the truth. It may or may not be the best timing, but Kara had already made her decision and she wasn’t eager to prolong these moments of apprehensive limbo.

“Hi sleepyhead,” she said quietly. She held her breath for the moment that Lena would turn to see not Kara, but Supergirl, standing in the doorway.

The moment came quickly as Lena turned her head toward her voice and Kara watched surprise flash across the woman’s face before quickly settling into a mask of pleasant confusion.

“Supergirl,” Lena said, voice still raspy with sleep. The name fell out of her mouth like it was a question, one that Kara didn’t quite know how to answer. _Rao, I maybe should have thought this out a bit more,_ Kara thought.

Kara didn’t trust herself to speak without falling into a long-winded ramble about how she was Supergirl, how she _knows_ she should have told Lena sooner, how sorry she was that she had lied. Instead she just looked at Lena, eyes pleading, trying to communicate without words what she was really trying to say. She slowly shook her head and watched as Lena’s eyes widened in surprise once more.

Lena gasped softly and a look of comprehension overtook her features. She smiled softly.

“Kara,” she said. It was a statement this time.

Kara nodded, lower lip twitching as she struggled not to bite it in her anxious state. She braced herself for the shock and disbelief that so often accompanied her Supergirl confession. What she didn’t expect was the look of awe and something like satisfaction in Lena’s eyes as she smiled wider than Kara had ever seen.

“I’m glad you told me,” Lena’s voice was sure, and it was Kara’s turn to stare in awe because Lena didn’t sound the slightest bit surprised.

“You knew?!” Kara blurted out, breaking her silence. “Wha – I don’t – this is – how?”

Lena chuckled at Kara’s stammering, so out of character when she was wearing that blue and red outfit. She didn’t answer right away. She seemed to read Kara’s nervousness and did something she had rarely done before: she opened her arms to Kara, inviting her into a hug Kara knew she couldn’t resist. The superhero was halfway to the bed before she realized that she had started moving, that she was walking slowly towards Lena who was waiting patiently with her arms open. She climbed onto the bed, not even minding that she still had her boots on, and snuggled up as close as she could to this amazing woman who hadn’t even batted an eyelash at her sudden revelation.

Kara let herself get caught up in the feeling of Lena’s arms around her, her grip soft but sure. She could feel every heartbeat pulsing under Lena’s skin. She nuzzled into the crook of Lena’s neck, not sure if she was being a bit too obvious with her feelings but not caring because she had told Lena her secret and Lena was still there. She was still there and she was hugging Kara and she hadn’t stormed out, hadn’t berated her for lying, hadn’t said anything except _I’m glad you told me._

It took a few moments for Kara’s mind to catch up with the turn of events, to realize that this was really happening, and that finally – _finally –_ she could be honest with Lena. She pulled back so she could look into Lena’s green eyes as she repeated her question.

“How?”

Lena smiled gently. She reached up and touched Kara’s face, the gesture so soft and tentative and very much unlike that hug she had just wrapped Kara in.

“You have the same face,” Lena said softly. “The same eyes, the same nose, the same mouth. I would recognize you anywhere.” Kara gasped at the look the Luthor was giving her then. There was so much tenderness in her gaze, so much warmth, and something else that Kara wasn’t quite sure was really there. Something that looked like adoration, but Kara couldn’t believe it. She thought her love-addled brain must have been projecting her own feelings onto Lena. Before Kara could get her thoughts together, Lena’s expression changed as she cocked her head to one side and smirked in that all too familiar way of hers. “Plus, Kara, you brought me to an alien bar. That was kind of a dead give-away.”

Kara chuckled lightly, but her worries were not all gone yet. She took a breath, bracing herself for her next question. “So you’re not…afraid of me?” she asked hesitantly.

Lena laughed unexpectedly. “I’m not afraid of you, Kara. I’m not afraid you’ll hurt me. After all, you’ve saved my life multiple times. Thank you for that, by the way,” Kara blushed and nodded, looking down to where her hands had at some point become intertwined with Lena’s. “I trust you. You’re the best person I know.”

At this, Kara looked up, hesitant to ask her next question but knowing that it was a necessity, that she had to know how Lena felt about the fact that Kara wasn’t really a person, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. “So you don’t mind that I’m…an alien?”

Lena’s gaze softened, and she pulled Kara into another tight hug. “Oh, Kara,” she sighed, trying to find the right words to ease all of Kara’s worries. “I don’t mind Kara, of course I don’t. It’s what makes you _you_ and you’re just so kind and charming and funny and smart and I - “ Lena seemed to stop herself from saying something. She released Kara from their hug and carried on in a soft voice. “You’re my best friend, Kara, and I think you’re wonderful the way you are.”

Kara’s heart lifted immediately at Lena’s words. So much so that she silently chastised it for going flying without taking the rest of her body with her. In fact, Kara had to check herself to make sure she wasn’t floating because the way Lena’s words hit her made her happy in a way that only flying ever did. The earnest look on Lena’s face made Kara wanted to repeat her words back to her, to say it multiple times so that Lena would believe her. She opened her mouth, but was interrupted by –

Her stomach growling loudly. Kara turned red and wondered if her invulnerability extended to death from mortification because, in that moment, she felt as if she could just die of embarrassment. Lena, to her credit, just laughed at the interruption. She poked Kara’s midsection gently, saying “How about we get you some food, huh? Can’t keep a hungry alien waiting.”

Kara rolled her eyes and laughed, still red but glad Lena didn’t seem too interested in teasing her. She released Lena’s hands so the brunette could roll off the bed. Kara could only watch happily as Lena faced the window and stretched her hands up to the air, letting out a soft moan as she did so that had Kara’s jaw drop open and her mind wander to some _other_ ways she could hear Lena moan like that. _Control yourself, damn,_ Kara chastised herself. However, she was immediately distracted once more as Lena brought her arms back down and the large sweatshirt Kara had given her to sleep in fell off one shoulder, exposing skin smooth and pale as alabaster. Lena shot a glance towards her and Kara quickly averted her eyes, hoping that her friend hadn’t caught her staring. “Coming?” she asked as she walked towards the kitchen.

Not wanting to waste a single second of Lena’s company, Kara shot up and speeded back into her sleeping clothes and glasses, beating Lena to the kitchen.

Lena laughed joyfully as Kara whipped past her, causing her hair to flutter wildly around her face in the wind the movement created. Kara grinned back at her, hardly able to comprehend the happiness she felt at finally being able to be herself around Lena. Kara pulled out all the ingredients for her Saturday morning pancakes and started whipping up batter before Lena had even taken more than two steps.

“Show off,” she heard the other woman mutter under her breath.

She turned to defend herself, her words catching slightly in her throat at the sight of Lena leaning casually against the kitchen counter, the smile on her face telling Kara she was just joking with her.

“Hey, you’re the one who said we can’t keep a hungry alien waiting,” Kara quipped. Her stomach growled once more, proving her point. Lena just laughed.

“I have so many questions,” Lena said, looking at the tall blonde hopefully.

Kara smiled openly at her as she poured batter into the pan she was heating on the stove. “Ask away,” she said.

Lena paused in thought. “Your glasses,” she started. “They’re fake?”

Kara let out a surprised laugh. “I just told you I’m Supergirl and the first question you have is about my glasses?”

Lena gave a kind of half-shrug, one shoulder rising slowly as she smiled and cocked her head to the side. “I’m curious.”

Kara removed her spectacles and held them out to Lena. “See for yourself.”

Lena took them cautiously. “They’re heavy.”

“Yeah, they’re lined with lead to help me control my x-ray vision. Jeremiah gave them to me when I…uh –“ Kara’s mind suddenly went blank because Lena had slipped the spectacles on and Kara was suddenly struck by how beautiful they looked on her, how gorgeous Lena looked in this moment with flyaway hair, wearing Kara’s old college sweatshirt and Kara’s glasses _._

“When you what?” Lena asked, unaware of the effect she had on her friend. Her inquisitive gaze burned past prescription-less lenses and suddenly Kara felt like she was the one being x-rayed.

“When I was young,” Kara finished, turning back to the stove to put an end to her dazed staring. _Get a grip, Zor-el,_ she thought to herself.

Lena continued to ask her an eclectic range of questions as the blonde piled pancake after pancake on the plates next to the stove, anything from “How many calories do you have to intake per day?” to “What material is your supersuit made of?” Kara answered them all happily, her smile almost uncontrollably wide as she relished the candidness of their conversation.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Kara chuckled confusedly at the last question. “My favorite color? What does that have to do with Supergirl?”

Lena shrugged and averted her gaze. Kara noted with pleasure that Lena had forgotten that she was still wearing Kara’s glasses, so focused was she on the enthusiastic interrogation. “Just curious,” Lena stated, shrugging once more. “I can’t help my inquisitive disposition.”

“Well my favorite color’s green,” Kara said as she finished up the last pancake and turned off the stove. “But it wasn’t always. It used to be red, then blue. And now it’s green!” she finished chirpily as she carried the plates of pancakes to the table.

“Really? Why those colors?” Lena asked. She was pulling out plates and glasses from the cupboard and so missed how Kara’s cheeks tinged slightly red at the question.

“Well I liked red because it was the color of the sun on Krypton. And then I liked blue because it’s the color of the ocean. And I like green because…well, um – it’s just, uh…a really pretty color,” Kara stammered. _Because it’s the color of your eyes,_ she thought secretly.

Kara’s deflection didn’t seem to satisfy Lena, but the brunette let it slide as the two sat down to eat. Kara shoveled pancakes into her mouth while Lena picked at her food as she waited patiently for Kara to finish eating so she could ply her with more questions. Kara, sensing this, speeded up her intake, eager to share more of herself with her friend. As soon as she was done, she placed her fork down primly and smiled at Lena expectantly.

Lena chuckled at the sight, before her gaze became slightly somber. She bit her lip, a habit Kara knew she did when she was nervous. “Will you…tell me about Krypton?”

She looked anxious, as if she was afraid she had crossed the line with this latest line of inquiry, especially when she noticed the pained expression in Kara’s eyes.

“Oh Kara, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked –“ Lena stopped short when Kara reached over and grabbed her hand.

“It’s okay, Lena. I can talk about it,” Kara said. She took a deep breath and began her tale.

Lena

Lena couldn’t believe this was happening. She had never in a million years thought that this would happen.

Lena had never expected that she would wake up in Kara’s bed to find Supergirl looking down at her with a shy smile, hands wringing anxiously and the light from the open window shining on her honey blond hair, illuminating her like an angel. A nervous angel.

_“Supergirl?” she said as she wiped sleep from her eyes. Had Kara forgotten that she was wearing her supersuit? It would be a very ‘Kara’ thing to do. But then she saw the expression on Kara’s face, followed her movements as she slowly shook her head. Lena’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her chest as she realized what Kara was trying to tell her._

_“Kara,” she then said, realizing just how much she had been wanting this moment, how much she longed to say Kara’s name while looking at the caped superhero. She felt a rush of satisfaction. From the moment Kara had accompanied Clark Kent to her office, Lena had felt sure she knew exactly who Supergirl was, but it was nice to have her theory confirmed. At the same time, Lena felt a sense of wonder at this turn of events. She never once expected that Kara would trust her with her closest secret, and Lena wondered what she had done to deserve this._

_She put on her widest smile – it didn’t take much effort when she was looking at her beautiful friend – and said, “I’m glad you told me.”_

_And just like that, Supergirl didn’t look like Supergirl anymore, she just looked like Kara. Stammering, blushing Kara, with eyes wide as dinner plates, obviously beyond surprised at Lena’s deduction. Kara seemed to be having trouble speaking in complete sentences and Lena felt bad for flustering her so. The blonde always seemed to calm down with physical contact, so Lena opened her arms for a hug, praying that Kara wouldn’t leave her hanging and looking like a fool. Thankfully, Kara accepted her invitation and climbed on to the bed beside her, instantly snuggling up to the dark-haired woman like an affectionate puppy._

Lena played the memory over and over in her head as she watched Kara make pancakes and bombarded her with endless questions. She remembered how she had wrapped her arms around the superhero, holding tightly and relishing the way Kara curled into her embrace. She thought of how the rough texture of the blue suit material had felt underneath her fingertips. She recalled how she could feel Kara’s heart beating powerfully behind the emblem on her chest, each pulse creating quick tempo-ed music as they intermingled with the pounding of Lena’s own heart.

Lena could barely control her smile as she finally got to ask the multitude of questions that had been burning in the back of her mind since she had met Kara, but which she had never asked in respect of Kara’s secret. _Is the purpose of the cape to aid with aerodynamics? Can you control the temperature of your heat vision? Would you be able to withstand deep-water pressures?_ Lena would have worried about bothering Kara with all these questions, but the blonde answered them all with a smile, and occasionally a giggle at some of the sillier questions Lena peppered in there for fun. _Where do you keep your phone when you’re in your supersuit? How do you keep bugs from hitting you when you fly? Do you ever get a brain freeze when you use your freeze breath?_ Lena felt a sense of amazement at the honesty with which Kara spoke, never once faltering or hesitating to share what might be considered dangerous information with a Luthor.

It wasn’t until Kara had finished eating that Lena worked up the courage to ask her about Krypton, about the home she had lost when she was young. She regretted it at first when she saw a twinge of pain cross Kara’s face at the mention of her destroyed planet. But Kara assured her that it was okay, that she was willing to talk about her lost home.

And so Lena found herself listening intently to the story Kara wove as she relived precious moments on Krypton. She spoke of the Science Guild, of the annual Festival of Rao, of the courthouses where she accompanied her mother to work. She painted a picture of the vast city she had lived in as a child, where the multitude of tall buildings were continuously bathed in the red glow of Rao. She spoke of how it was all gone now, how Krypton had died, exploding in a fiery burst as she flew away in the spaceship her mother had put her in. With a faraway and pained expression, she spoke of her family: of her father the scientist, her mother the judge, her uncle Jor-el, her aunt Lara, and her cousin Kal-el when he was baby. “Imagine my surprise when I arrived on Earth to find that my baby cousin whose diapers I used to change had grown older than me and become a superhero!” Kara’s laugh was tinged with sadness.

Lena watched her carefully. She knew that she was only seeing a glimpse of the pain Kara held within her – that she could never fully comprehend what it was like to lose your family along with your culture and your entire planet. She had always been in awe of Supergirl, of what she could do with her super-strength and speed, of the amazing feats she could accomplish with her many powers, of her bravery and willingness to put her life in danger for the people of National City. And now another layer had been added to this sense of wonder because here was a person who had suffered an inconceivable loss and yet you wouldn’t be able to tell it from seeing her in her daily life. Kara walked around every day, bright as sunshine and always smiling, her infectious optimism spreading to every person she came in contact with. It was amazing.

“Are you okay, Lena?” Kara asked once she had finished her story. She was watching Lena carefully, as if worried that the story was too much for her friend. Lena’s heart broke because Kara had just relived the worst experience of her life and yet she was worried about how Lena was feeling.

“How do you do it?” Lena asked, softly. She looked into Kara’s sky-blue eyes with unconcealed admiration.

“Do what?” Kara replied, studying Lena’s face as if she was trying to read her mind.

Lena smiled sadly. “You walk around with a smile on your face, even after everything that’s happened. How?”

Kara shrugged gently. “It hasn’t been easy. The first few weeks, I kind of just curled up into a ball and wouldn’t leave my room at the Danvers’ house. It took a while for me to accept what happened. It still hurts, but I guess I’m just…happy to be alive. And I have my family to help me through. Alex. Eliza. Kal. And now I have Winn, James, and Jonn. And you.”

Lena gasped softly. “I’m…family?”

“Yeah,” Kara said, blue eyes watching Lena carefully. "If you want to be,” she added hesitantly.

Lena could only smile and nod because she had never had family like Kara before and she didn't trust herself to speak in that moment. Judging by the way Kara beamed at her, it was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,
> 
> Here's another chapter for you :) Tbh, I had a difficult time writing this one and figuring out where I wanted things to go. I've also had a lot of distractions lately, so I apologize for being slow to upload.
> 
> I hope the decision for Kara to tell Lena she's Supergirl wasn't too abrupt, but I don't see them delving any deeper into their relationship with a secret this big between them - I think Kara respects Lena too much to do that to her. I also wanted Kara to deliberately tell Lena her secret and show the level of trust between them. Don't get me wrong, I love the accidental-reveal trope as much as the next girl, but I didn't think it would fit too well in this story.
> 
> As always, I hope it's not terrible. Cheers.
> 
> PS: Kara is sooooo thirsty. But can you blame her? Katie McGrath is a goddess


	9. Chapter 9

Kara

“This is fascinating,“ Lena stated.

“The crystal cartridge effectively contains the Kryptonite radiation -“ Alex said excitedly.

“If we could isolate this element and imbue it into Kara’s suit we could -“ Winn cut in.

“Create a protective layer!” The three of them said simultaneously, smiling triumphantly at their breakthrough. They immediately hunched over the weapon on the table, chattering rapidly in their excitement.

“Are they always like this?” Maggie asked, bemused. When she didn’t get an answer, she looked to her right to see a certain superhero gazing happily at the scene before her. “Hello? Earth to Kara?”

“Hmmm, what? Oh, hi Maggie! When did you get here?”

“About a minute ago, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, what with the three musketeers over there nerd-ing out,” Maggie said as a knowing smile crept up on her face. Kara had zoned out shortly into her explanation – Lena had shot her a look and the superhero was too busy smiling dreamily back to pay much attention to Maggie.

It was late, and they were at the DEO. Kara had just arrested a Lex Luthor-follower who had publicly challenged her to a fight, thinking that he was the one who could take Supergirl down because he had a special weapon: a gun that could shoot rays of Kryptonite. Well, he may have had a weapon that exploited Kara’s weakness, but he really wasn’t all that bright, considering that he had shown his hand with his confident boast. Knowing what to expect, Kara had made quick work of speeding up behind him and giving him a nice, hard bonk on the head. She had brought him back to the DEO and confiscated his weapon, which was now the subject of study for the ‘three musketeers’ as Maggie had called them.

Kara had been watching Lena, Winn, and Alex, enjoying the warm feeling that spread through her as she gazed upon three of her most favorite people working together. It was a sight that was becoming more and more common, ever since Lena had started coming around to the DEO. At first she came as a guest - Kara had been eager to give her a tour of ‘the office’ ever since that morning when she told Lena about Supergirl. This was, of course, after Kara had tentatively told Jonn and Alex about Lena’s induction into the Superfriends, only to be surprised when Jonn had only given a brief nod and said that he had been toying with the idea of hiring Lena as a technical consultant anyway, ever since the black body generator incident. Alex, for her part, was completely unsurprised by the news. “Honestly, Kara, I’m only astonished it took this long…which reminds me, I owe Maggie ten bucks now.”

It wasn’t long before Lena became an official DEO consultant, with her own badge and everything. Kara, Alex, Maggie, Winn, and James had taken Lena out to the alien bar that night as a celebration. Kara had, somehow, fallen even more deeply for Lena after seeing the pride her friend exuded after becoming an official member of the DEO.

“ – Kara, hellooooo?”

“Hmm, what?” Kara jerked out of her reverie. Maggie and Alex were standing in front of her, the latter looking at her with her eyebrows scrunched in concern.

“I said it’s getting pretty late. Maggie and I are going home. You’ve had a long day, maybe you should get some rest as well.”

Kara glanced behind Alex and was relieved to see Lena was also packing up, secretly thinking that no matter how tired she was, she would stay as long as Lena stayed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll just give Lena a ride and then go to sleep.”

Maggie’s grin got impossibly wide at hearing this, her dimples showing in all their glory. “Alright, go Little Danvers! See Alex, I told you your little sister’s got game!”

“Ugh, Maggie I’m not sure that’s what she meant. And if it was, I definitely didn’t want to know that,” Alex groaned.

“Game? What are you guys talking about?” Kara asked confusedly. What was the big deal about giving Lena a ride home? It was something she did all the time now that Lena knew about Supergirl.

“Nevermind, we’re leaving now. Bye guys!” Alex called, eager to leave all of a sudden.

“Bye Little Danvers, have fun!” Maggie winked at Kara, only confusing the superhero more. She cocked her head to the side as she watched Maggie and Alex wave to Winn and Lena and saunter away, trying to figure out Maggie’s puzzling behavior. She didn’t get very far before she was distracted by the presence of a certain raven-haired CEO as Lena stepped closer to her.

“Are you ready to go?” Lena asked in that soothing voice of hers, and Kara wondered (not for the first time) how it was that she got so lucky to have someone like Lena in her life.

“Yup!” Kara held her hand out, smiling when Lena interlaced their fingers. They both called goodbye to Winn, who was already on his way to the door, as they made their way to the balcony. “Are you ready?” Kara asked.

Lena simply nodded in response, lips pursed slightly. Kara had taken her flying a few times since she had told her about Supergirl, usually just short rides from the office to her penthouse apartment whenever she stayed at work too late, but she could tell Lena still got nervous about it. She bent slightly, one arm catching Lena behind her knees and the other supporting her back. Lena immediately wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck and Kara tried to control the hitch in her breathing at the intimacy of the motion. She didn’t think she would ever get used to this, to being close to Lena, to the trust Lena showed in her every time she let Kara take her in her arms.

She allowed herself to gently lift off, going much slower than she usually would – somehow she didn’t think Lena would appreciate flying near the speed of sound. As Kara turned due north and headed towards Lena’s building, she felt rather than saw her friend close her eyes and snuggle into the crook of her neck. She could hear Lena’s heart hammering and tightened her grip just enough to let the other woman feel more secure. Kara knew Lena was afraid of heights, she knew Lena had never been a fan of flying. It was little acts like this, little displays of bravery, that made Kara fall deeper and deeper in love with Lena every day.

Kara’s eyes widened at the sudden thought. _Holy Rao, I just said – thought – ‘love’. Love? Am I in love with Lena?_ She knew it was true the moment the thought crossed her mind. The knowledge took hold of her, falling into place just as surely as a key turning in a lock. It was a missing piece of information, except it really wasn’t because Kara was sure she had known she loved Lena for a long while. She had known, deep down, but just hadn’t put it into words until now. And although this was a sudden revelation, she found that she wasn’t surprised - not one bit -  because who in their right mind wouldn’t fall in love with someone as amazing as the woman she held in her arms?

Much too soon, Kara was alighting on Lena’s balcony, carefully making sure the other woman was steady on her feet before releasing her. Lena’s arms stayed around Kara’s neck and, for a moment, the two of them simply stared into each other’s eyes. The way Lena was looking at her just then…Kara started to wonder if there was maybe a chance that Lena might feel something towards her too. Something that extended past the strong bond of friendship that had only intensified these past three weeks since she had told Lena about Supergirl.

Kara had almost gathered up enough courage to make a move when Lena took a sudden breath and released her arms, stepping back from the blonde and taking her warmth with her. Kara missed it immediately, missed having Lena so close to her. It was moments like these, moments when Lena would retreat away from her that made her unsure of herself and convinced her that there was no way Lena could possibly feel the same way Kara felt.

Kara swallowed down her disappointment, glancing down so Lena wouldn’t see the flash of hurt on her face. When she looked back up, she had a wide smile on her face and a lock on her emotions. “So, lunch tomorrow?”

Lena smiled back at her. “Of course! I heard about this new place, it’s –“

“Oh no.”

“- got this really great menu made up entirely of –“

“Don’t say it.”

“- kale,” Lena said, the only sign she gave of hearing Kara’s complaints was her growing smirk.

Kara groaned. “Leeeeeee,” she pouted, but Lena only laughed.

“Come on, Kara, we aren’t all blessed with alien metabolisms. We’ve been eating Chinese food and hamburgers this whole week. I’m only a puny human and I need my vitamins if I’m going to be big and strong like Supergirl.” She pouted adorably, causing Kara to roll her eyes.

“Hey that’s my move,” Kara said. She tried to look stern, raising her eyebrow in the way Lena could pull off so flawlessly. Kara obviously wasn’t as good at it as Lena was because the CEO only smirked at her once more. Kara sighed. “Fine,” she relented. “But only because you’re so cute,” she added, bumping Lena gently on the nose with her index finger.

And there it was: a slight trip of the heartbeat, a barely noticeable hitch of breath. Kara heard Lena’s reaction to her compliment and felt her hopes rise once more. It was almost enough to gather her courage, she was almost ready to tell Lena how she really felt when suddenly, the raven-haired beauty was walking away from her, pushing open her balcony door. She turned as she walked inside. “Thanks for the ride, Supergirl,” she said, her smile never leaving her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And that was it. Kara had lost her chance. “See you,” she said softly. She lifted off, pulling against Lena’s gravity, fighting the invisible strings that pulled her constantly towards the other woman. She sighed as she flew towards her apartment, wanting nothing more than to turn back around and tell Lena how she really felt, but terrified of what that would mean for them – of how such a confession could change their friendship. What if she was reading the signs wrong, and Lena didn’t feel the same way she did?

She let out a frustrated huff as she touched down in her apartment, her floor complaining with a dull _thump_ as she touched down a little harder than she normally would. _This whole ‘being in love with my best friend’ thing is beginning to drive me crazy_ , she thought as she sped to the fridge and started chomping down on the extra-large pizza she had stashed in there earlier. _I think it’s time to bring in reinforcements._

Maggie

“So when do you think your sister is finally going to crack and admit she loves Luthor?” Maggie asked cheekily as she munched on those disgustingly healthy vegan chips she loved so much.

“I bet you she’s already told Lena, but they’re too stuck in their little bubble to think it isn’t completely obvious to the rest of us,” Alex said, smirking as she remembered the heart-eyes the couple had been throwing at each other at the DEO that day. “They’re both so whipped. I’m expecting my wedding invite any day now,” she added, only mostly joking.

“Nah I don’t think so,” Maggie said thoughtfully. “I think the minute Little Danvers and Luthor say the words to each other, they’re going to practically shout it from the rooftops, or at least Kara will. We won’t be able to get her to shut up.”

“Oh yeah? What do you wanna bet?” Alex grinned.

“Hmmmm, if I win, we...watch Blue is the Warmest Color,” she wriggled her eyebrows playfully. “And if you win, we can watch Die Hard. Again.”

“Well that’s a win-win situation for you, but I’ll take it,” Alex chortled. Maggie threw a chip at her, but Alex caught it easily and popped it in her mouth. She regretted it as soon as she registered the taste, spitting it out into the compost bin and taking a swig of beer to wash the taste out of her mouth as Maggie laughed.

A knock on the door sounded and Alex got up from her seat to answer it, sneaking a kiss on Maggie’s cheek as she passed by. She glanced through the peephole, and immediately opened the door, smiling. “Kara!”

“Hey Alex, hey Maggie,” Kara stalked into the room hurriedly, immediately placing the extra-large pizza she had brought with her on the kitchen counter and proceeding to ignore it uncharacteristically as she started pacing in Alex’s living room, hands wringing nervously.

Alex and Maggie shared a concerned look between them. “Kara, what’s wrong?” Alex asked cautiously.

“I like Lena!” Kara blurted out suddenly. She looked relieved as soon as she said it and took a deep breath, exhaling quickly as she nervously adjusted her glasses.

Alex and Maggie shared another look between the two of them, this time completely bewildered. “Yeah, no shit Kara,” Alex said. “Literally anyone with eyes can see that. Why is this such a surprise? Haven’t you two been dating for a while now?”

Kara’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No! Alex, Maggie, I told you we were only fake dating to get Mon-el off my back!”

“Yeah, but that was a while back. You guys have been so lovey-dovey we figured you two just ended up legit dating,” Maggie said incredulously.

“Wait, are you telling me you guys have been friends pretending to date _this whole time?!?”_ Alex exclaimed.

“Yeah!”

Alex scoffed. “Kara, that can’t be. You talk about her constantly –“

“Well she’s my friend –“ Kara tried to interrupt, but Alex wasn’t done.

“You two go on lunch and dinner dates, like, everyday –“

“Well, not _every day_ , I mean only when we have time –“ Kara was cut off yet again.

“Kara, you let her eat the last potsticker last game night. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.”

“That’s the thing, Alex. I _do_ love her!” Kara burst out. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, surprised by her outburst. “Oh Rao. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just…I love her, you guys. And I don’t know what to do.” She sank into Alex’s couch, face hidden in her hands.

Immediately Alex and Maggie were on either side of her, hands rubbing her back comfortingly. They let her sit in silence for a few moments, sharing worried looks with each other. “Kara,” Maggie said softly, “correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it a good thing that you love Lena?”

Kara took a deep breath and her voice came out muffled from behind her hands. “It is. I just don’t know what to do about it. She’s my best friend, you guys.” She raised her head and her face took on the dreamy look she so often had when she thought of Lena. Maggie and Alex smirked at each other at the sudden change. It was incredibly easy to distract Kara – just mention Lena and she was off in la-la land.

“She’s so nice, and she’s really smart. Like _so_ smart. I think she might be smarter than Winn,” Kara stared up at the ceiling dreamily, hands twiddling in her lap. “But don’t tell Winn I said that,” she added quickly, shooting a warning look at the detective and her sister.

“Your secret’s safe with us,” Alex smiled at her sister supportively.

Kara flung herself backwards onto the sofa, ignoring its protesting squeaks as she sighed.

“She’s just so amazing, you guys, what should I do?”

“Easy. Do her,” Maggie deadpanned. Kara either ignored her or didn’t hear her. The latter was more likely, as Kara hadn’t waited for an answer to her question before continuing on.

“She’s beautiful, she’s funny, there’s something about her that’s just so ineffable –“

“I’d say she’s completely f-able,” Maggie muttered, smirking at her little joke. Alex shot her a warning look, but Maggie could tell she was trying not to laugh. Yet again, Kara ignored the comment.

“-she’s kind, she’s generous – did you know she gave a hundred thousand dollars of her own money to the Children’s Hospital? Anonymously!”

“I _knew_ she was a big old softy,” Alex grinned in satisfaction. She looked closely at her lovesick sister. “Kara,” she said, “why aren’t you telling any of this to Lena? I’m sure she would love hearing all this from you.”

Kara sighed, and a despondent look replaced the uncontrolled smile she had just had on at the thought of her best friend. “I don’t know if she likes me. I don’t even know if she likes women! What if I tell her and it messes everything up?”

There was a moment of shocked silence, then -

“WHAT?” Maggie said incredulously. “You don’t think she likes you? You don’t think she likes _women?!?”_ She jumped up from the couch in agitation and started pacing the floor.“Didn’t you say that Lena wanted to take you out for kombucha?”

“Yeah, so?” Kara asked in confusion. “What does kombucha have to do with anything?”

“Oh my – “ Maggie stopped herself and took a deep breath, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Kara, she filled your office with flowers.”

“Yeah, she’s so nice,” Kara sighed distractedly.

“She wore flannel to our last game night.”

“She looked cute didn’t she?” Kara laughed softly as she remembered. She didn’t notice Maggie’s eyes widening or her eyebrows rising almost to her hairline as her look of pure disbelief intensified. Alex stayed quiet, the look on her face an interesting mix of cringing at Kara’s obliviousness and amusement at the expression on Maggie’s face.

Maggie scoffed. “Kara. Oh my god. I’m pretty sure I heard her singing a Tegan and Sara song under her breath last week.”

“Hmmm, she has such a nice voice,” Kara smiled fondly.

Maggie had had enough. She sighed heavily as she realized that Kara was quite possibly the most oblivious person she had ever met, and she felt a pang in her heart for poor Lena who had to deal with this ridiculousness. Glancing momentarily at Alex, who was shaking with silent laughter at this point, she grabbed Kara’s arms, shocking the blonde out of her dazed stupor, and fixed a steely gaze on the superhero.

 “Kara, I’m going to say this very clearly.” Kara just looked at the tiny detective in shock. Maggie took a deep breath, keeping eye contact with the blonde to make sure she got her point across with her next statement. “I’ve _literally_ never seen a bigger lesbian than Lena Luthor. And I own a mirror.”

“Wha – I – she can’t be – how could you possibly know that?” Kara spluttered, her face reddening, but an unmistakable look of hope blooming on it nonetheless.

Maggie scoffed. “I’m a detective, Danvers. I detect. Not that I had to do much of an investigation. She’s so gay her name might as well be Lena Lady-lover Luthor...come to think of it, I’m not sure what her middle name is, so it very well could be.”

Kara continued to splutter in surprise. She turned to her sister who simply gave her a look that clearly said _duh Kara._ “I – wha – you knew too? Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“In our defense, Kara, we thought it was pretty obvious. I mean, my gay-dar isn’t exactly fine-tuned, but even _I_ knew that Lena likes girls.”

Kara stared off in the distance in shock. She thought back to all the moments she had shared with Lena, but she had never wanted to pry into Lena’s personal business and they had never discussed Lena’s preferences.

Kara was brought out of her reverie by the sound of a phone buzzing. It was Maggie’s, and she answered quickly and professionally. “Sawyer…yes ma’am…yes ma’am, I’ll be right in.” She hung up and was met with two pairs of puppy dog eyes. She smiled at the sight of the two Danvers sisters on the couch, staring up at her. “That was my boss, there was a break in my case. I have to go down to the station,” she said. She leaned down to give Alex a quick kiss, then patted Kara on the shoulder. “Lena’s into you Little Danvers. Trust me, my gay-dar is never wrong – I managed to scope out your sister, after all, didn’t I?”

This succeeded in making both of the Danvers sisters chuckle, and Maggie grinned at them. “I’ll see you later,” she said as threw on her riding jacket and grabbed her helmet from the table where she’d left it.

Both sisters called out their goodbyes to her as she sauntered toward the door, and Maggie couldn’t resist one last quip. “The ‘L’ in L-Corp stands for lesbian, Kara!” she called gleefully, and shut the door behind her before she could hear Kara’s reply.

…………………………….

Inside the apartment, Kara and Alex simply sat and stared at each other. “So you think Lena likes me back?” Kara asked finally.

Alex smiled softly as she pulled her little sister into a warm hug. “Kara, Lena is absolutely crazy about you. Trust me on this one. You should go for it.”

Kara sighed into her sister’s embrace, filled with hope. She would see Lena the next day, and she would tell her then.

Beside her, Alex’s phone buzzed and the older Danvers glanced at it quickly.

 **Maggie:** I won the bet, Danvers…You, me, and Blue is the Warmest Color. Tomorrow night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Sorry for being so incredible slow about uploading.
> 
> Anyway, here's the latest chapter for you. Kara here sure does have a tendency for accidental innuendos doesn't she? As always, I hope you like it :)
> 
> PS: "Ace Reporter" and "Alex" has me SHOOK. I love the way the end of this season is shaping up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara has bad timing, Lena is in denial, and Maggie is the lesbian whisperer. It gets a bit rough, but things work out in the end ;)

Lena

“So I am STARVING,” Kara said as a greeting when she opened the door to Lena’s office at exactly noon. The rapid typing sounds of Lena’s fingers on her laptop keyboard halted suddenly as Lena looked up, amused gaze following the reporter as she crossed the room and collapsed face-down on Lena’s white couch dramatically.

“Busy day at the office?” Lena asked, unable to keep the fond smirk off her face at her friend’s theatrics.

Kara lifted her head, resting it on her palms as she aimed a bright smile at her friend. She lay stretched out on the couch, long legs swinging adorably back and forth. Lena tried her hardest to keep her gaze from wandering down Kara’s long, lithe body, following the curve of her back to where her shirt was neatly tucked into her jeans – those sinfully tight red jeans that hugged her body and made her ass look _absolutely_ perfect and made Lena want to – _Noooooope. Don’t go there, Luthor._ Lena suddenly realized she was staring. She released her bottom lip that she had unwittingly been biting and snapped her gaze back to Kara’s face, just then realizing that Kara had been talking the whole time.

“- so yeah, it’s a pretty quiet day for National city, crime-wise and story-wise. But of course, Alex insisted on a two hour-long training session so now I’m completely famished.”

Lena tried to concentrate on Kara’s words and not on the sudden image that popped in her head of a sweaty Kara throwing punches, kicking concrete with those long, perfect legs and –

Lena’s throat was suddenly very dry. She stood up to pour herself a glass of water, taking the opportunity as she turned away from the blonde on her couch to mentally reset her brain from the _very_ inappropriate thoughts she was having about her best friend. She gulped down the cool water thirstily before taking a deep breath, only then feeling like she might be able to speak with some modicum of decency. “So what I’m hearing Kara, is that you’re _very_ hungry…too hungry for kale?”

“Whaaaaat? Pfft. Whaaat? I…love kale,” Kara’s overly innocent voice sounded behind her, and Lena smiled.

“Liar.” She turned around, fully prepared to give her friend a stern stare-down, but this plan was derailed almost immediately at the sight of Kara’s infamous pout and puppy-dog eyes combo. Lena felt her resolve diminish instantly and she averted her eyes, unable to keep the smile off her face. Kara was just too adorable to say no to. “Fine,” she relented, and Kara immediately squealed in excitement as she jumped up to hug the CEO.

Lena leaned into the hug happily, enjoying Kara’s warmth and the now-familiar feeling of Kara’s strong arms around her. They released each other slowly, Kara pulling away with that soft smile on her face that never failed to make Lena’s mind race. Nobody had ever looked at her that way before, with so much _fondness._ At least, that’s what Lena thought it might be. Her mind reeled and, just as she had in times before, she found herself with the need to protect herself, to retreat behind the walls she had put up as a child when she was made painfully aware that she wasn’t worthy of this kind of affection.

Lena cleared her throat and stepped away from Kara, missing the look of disappointment on Kara’s face as she turned to open the door. No, all Lena saw was pure excitement on Kara’s face as she turned around, asking “Noonan’s has salads, right?”

…………………

One cobb salad for Lena and a double order of Noonan’s famous chili cheeseburger for Kara later, the pair sat satisfied in their booth, Kara’s intense appetite finally appeased. They chatted comfortably as they always did about whatever topic came to mind. Today’s focus was Disney movies. “You’ve never seen the Lion King?” Kara asked, astounded.

“Well I never watched movies growing up, they were always deemed unnecessary distractions. What’s so good about the Lion King, anyway?”

Kara’s eyes widened excitedly. “What’s so good about the - ? Ohohoho, my friend you are in for a treat!” She grinned widely and leaned over the table towards Lena like she was about to share a secret. “We’re going to have a movie night, and you are going to watch all the Disney classics! It’s going to be so fun!” Kara practically bounced out of her seat in excitement, and Lena got up with her, laughing softly.

“I look forward to it,” she said fondly as they exited the restaurant.

Once they were out of the restaurant, Kara reached for Lena’s hand, linking their pinky fingers loosely. Lena gulped, but she had slowly gotten used to these kinds of touches from her friend. She told herself that they didn’t mean anything, that Kara was just affectionate by nature. Still, she couldn’t control how her heart beat faster at the intimacy of the movement and she prayed that Kara wasn’t using her superhearing at the moment.

They took a shortcut through the park as they walked back to Lena’s office, and Lena noticed Kara getting more and more quiet the farther they went. Beside her, Kara took a few deep breaths and Lena found herself growing nervous at this unusual behavior. “Kara, is everything okay?”

Kara looked at her, eyes wide behind her glasses, and gulped. She slowed to a halt, and Lena stopped beside her, eyebrows crinkled in concern. The blonde took yet another deep breath and pulled Lena over to the side of the path so they wouldn’t be blocking the way of other pedestrians.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Kara said, and Lena thought worriedly how she had never seen Kara this serious outside of her Supergirl persona. Her mind immediately ran wild thinking about scenarios that could have Kara acting this way: Lex had escaped from prison, or Lillian was back with a vengeance, or there was an alien invasion on its way. Her breath quickened and Lena steeled herself for the news.

“Tell me,” Lena said in a resilient voice.

“I – I think I –“ Kara stammered for a moment, then let out a shaky breath. “I’m a little nervous,” she laughed quietly, breathlessly.

Lena looked at her closely in concern and took a step closer to her friend, trying to convey her support. She lay a pale hand on Kara’s arm and the blonde’s eyes followed the movement, blue gaze latching onto Lena’s fingers as they squeezed her forearm gently. “It’s okay Kara. You can tell me,” Lena said softly.

“I – well I –“ Kara stammered yet again, before seemingly collecting her resolve and meeting Lena’s concerned gaze with a determined one. “I think maybe I should just show you.”

And then Kara was stepping closer to Lena, who found herself frozen. She felt like she was watching Kara move in slow motion as the blonde lifted a hand to her chin, tilting her head slightly up. Kara’s blue eyes flicked down to Lena’s lips, and Lena unconsciously wetted them with her tongue. She took a breath and found herself surrounded by Kara, enveloped in the delicious scent of daisies and vanilla. The world outside them ceased to continue as Kara slowly moved ever forward. The people passing by them on the path were of no concern to Lena – at that moment, she could’ve sworn she and Kara were the only two people on the planet. Kara was millimeters away, and Lena could feel the warm brush of Kara’s breath on her lips –

“Kara! Lena!”

The spell was broken and the two women looked up to see none other than Mon-el jogging towards them on the path, smiling cheerfully and completely unaware of what he had just interrupted.

“Oh, hi Mon-el,” Kara’s voice was chipper as always, and she smiled easily at the newcomer, although her eyes flicked over to where Lena stood, still frozen. She made no move to step away from Lena and the CEO suddenly realized that Kara’s hands were on her hips. A thought came to her head then - unbidden, unwelcome, but unforgettable once the idea had wormed its way into her overactive mind. _Was Kara only about to kiss me because she heard Mon-el coming?_ Was this all part of their act? She looked between the Kryptonian and the Daxamite, who were chatting amicably, but their words came to Lena distorted and unclear as if they were speaking through a barrier of water.

Lena felt sick. She felt stupid. She felt as if her heart was breaking. Her heart, which she had so carefully protected with walls made of steel and sheer force of will. Walls that she had instantly, unwittingly, let come crashing down the moment Kara had stepped close to her.

“Lena, are you okay?” Kara’s voice cut through the haze the CEO had found herself in. “Mon-el said bye before he went back to his run, but you looked like you didn’t even hear him.” Kara was trying to catch her eye, but Lena couldn’t bear to look at the blonde anymore. Kara’s hands were still on Lena’s hips, but where they used to feel light and warm, they suddenly felt like weights holding Lena in place when all she wanted to do was get away, run away.

“I – um,” Lena said, her voice raspy and shaky with strained emotion. She stepped back from Kara, who let her arms fall to her sides with no protest. Lena couldn’t look at Kara. Instead, she cast her gaze up the path, eyes landing on the L-Corp building not far in the distance. She cleared her throat, still looking away. “I should get back to the office, actually. I just remembered something I have to do.”

“Well, I’ll walk you –“

“No, that’s okay Kara,” Lena cut the reporter off in a clipped tone, the one she used for business dealings and presentations – never the one she used in talking to Kara. But she couldn’t help it. The only way Lena was going to make it through was if she turned off her emotions, something she was extremely effective at after being trained to do so her whole life. “I’ll see you later,” she held her head high and turned to walk away, never once letting her eyes stray to the friend she was leaving behind. If she had, she would have seen a look of pure hurt and heartbreak on the face of the woman she loved, and she wouldn’t have taken a single step further.

 

Kara

Kara stood there in the park long after Lena had walked out of sight, her mind uncharacteristically blank as she struggled to register what had just happened. Lena had just…left. Kara had finally worked up the courage to make a move and Lena wanted no part of it. Lena didn’t want her.

Kara felt as if her heart had been ripped out and violently stomped on. _She doesn’t want me. She doesn’t want me._ The thought whirled around her head on repeat, as if a broken record player was scratching on the saddest part of a heartbroken song.

Kara stood there until she felt something wet hit her forehead. Looking up, she saw dark gray clouds overhead, threatening to open up into a downpour at any given second. It was enough to shock her into movement, and she turned and started on her way down the path – away from L-Corp and away from Lena.

 

Alex

Alex had tried to call her sister four times in the last hour with no luck. She was getting worried. Kara never ignored her calls for this long. Alex was tempted to call Kara on her DEO line, but she and Kara had an agreement never to use that line for anything other than Supergirl-related business. Alex really just wanted to know how Kara’s talk with Lena went, so the situation didn’t exactly qualify.

The fact that Kara wasn’t picking up her phone either meant that her conversation with Lena went really well (Alex didn’t want to contemplate what Kara and Lena could possibly be doing if that was the case) or really badly (as much as Alex didn’t want to think of her sister in a …compromising scenario, she would much prefer the first option). She decided to go check on Kara at her apartment. If she wasn’t there, then there was reason for hope. If she _was_ there, well…Alex would bring a couple gallons of chocolate ice cream with her just in case.

She drove from the DEO to Kara’s apartment, taking her car so that she could more easily carry the ice cream she bought at the grocery store on the way. When she got to Kara’s door, she sent a silent prayer to the universe that Kara wasn’t home before letting herself in with her key.

At first glance, the apartment looked empty, but Alex’s trained eyes quickly spotted an unusually lumped blanket on the sofa, the top of a blond head just barely poking out from underneath. “Oh sweetie,” Alex said, rushing to the sofa where her sister lay. She sat down beside her sister and placed a loving hand on the spot she judged Kara’s arm would be. “Kara, wha –“ she stopped herself because she didn’t know what to say. She had prepared for this possibility, but she never actually expected any other outcome than Lena accepting Kara’s affection with open arms. She had been so sure that Kara’s feelings were mutual.

“Sweetie, what happened?” she tried again.

She heard a sniffle. “I don’t want to talk about it,” her sister said. Kara’s voice was muffled from underneath the blanket, but Alex could hear its shaky timbre and knew her sister had been crying.

“Okay, that’s okay,” Alex said comfortingly. This moment reminded her uncomfortably of when Maggie had first turned her down and Kara had been the one consoling her. She wished with all her might that she could take her little sister’s pain away, but Alex was a realist and she knew that there was no use in trying to change the past. All she could do was be here for her sister. “I brought ice cream,” she said, and smiled when she heard another sniffle from beneath the blanket and bloodshot eyes peeked out over the edge.

“Chocolate ice cream?” Kara asked. Alex smiled and nodded, thankful for the interest Kara always had in food. The day ice cream couldn’t make Kara feel even a little bit better would be the day Alex would be at a complete loss. She got up and collected spoons from Kara’s silverware drawer, depositing one tub of ice cream in the freezer before returning to the couch with the other.

Kara had sat up while she was gone, the blanket now wrapped around her shoulders. When Alex approached, she lifted an arm in an invitation that Alex gladly took, snuggling into her sister’s side with the blanket now wrapped around both their shoulders. Kara gratefully accepted a spoon from Alex and dolefully dug into the tub of frozen, chocolaty goodness.

They didn’t speak for a while as they steadily worked through the tub between them, Kara demolishing three giant spoonfuls for every one of Alex’s. This was their routine whenever one of them was feeling down – to simply eat and stare off into space, appreciating the other’s company until they were ready to talk.

Finally, after demolishing half the tub of ice cream, Kara sighed deeply and said in a hoarse voice, “She doesn’t want me, Alex.” Her face crinkled in misery, but she remained stoically tear-free.

Alex didn’t know what to say, so she simply rubbed Kara’s back in the way that had always soothed her since she joined the Danvers family. She didn’t ask Kara to elaborate, knowing that her sister would tell her more when she was ready. And so the two sisters sat in silence until Maggie arrived with pizza and potstickers at Alex’s texted request.

“Hey Kara,” Maggie said softly. “I brought your favorite – ham and pineapple,” she smiled at the superhero, who looked back at her gratefully.

“Thanks Maggie. And thanks Alex, for being here with me,” Kara said, smiling sadly.

“That’s what sisters are for,” Alex said, glancing shyly at Maggie, who looked quite touched at her words.

“You guys are the best,” Kara said.

Alex studied Kara’s face. She looked to be in a marginally better mood now that she had her comfort food within reach. “Are you ready to tell us what happened, Kara?” Alex asked tentatively.

Kara sighed sadly. “I just – I really thought I had a chance with her. I was…so stupid to think so. What would someone like Lena ever want with me?”

“Hey don’t say that,” Alex said sternly. “You are amazing, Kara. You’re funny, smart, kind, and an all-around awesome person. Anybody would be lucky to have you.”

“Yeah, not to mention you kick ass on the daily,” Maggie added. Kara chuckled and looked at the couple warmly before seemingly remembering her situation and allowing her face to collapse in misery.

“Well, Lena’s not into me,” she sniffled. “That’s fine. Whatever,” she added, rather unconvincingly.

“Tell us what happened, Kar,” Alex encouraged her sister, tightening her arm around Kara’s shoulder in support.

Kara let out a deep breath. “We had lunch at Noonan’s, and everything was going fine. We talked and joked around the same as we always do.” Maggie and Alex nodded their heads, staying silent so Kara could tell her story at her own pace. The superhero continued, “Then we were walking back to L-Corp through the park and I pulled her over to the side of the path. I told her I needed to tell her something, but I was so nervous I just couldn’t get my thoughts together. So I said I would show her. And I moved in to kiss her when-“

Kara paused and sniffled while Alex and Maggie waited with baited breaths.

“- Mon-el showed up and interrupted us!” The couples’ eyes widened at this unexpected turn of events, but Alex and Maggie dutifully let Kara continue without any interruptions. “He didn’t stay long, he only stopped to say hi. But Lena was acting weird. She barely said anything and she wouldn’t even look at me. She said she needed to do something important at L-Corp and when I said I would walk her to her office she cut me off and said there was no need.” Kara looked at Alex, then Maggie with watery eyes. “She always lets me walk her back to the office, I don’t understand why all of a sudden there was no need!”

Silent tears ran down Kara’s face as she continued in a shaky voice. “She was weirded out that I tried to kiss her, I just – _sniff –_ I know it! She doesn’t want me and now I’ve ruined everything!” She sobbed into Alex’s shoulder and the older Danvers wrapped her arms around Kara comfortingly, soothing her with shushing noises and rubbing her back.

Maggie, however, stayed in her spot on Kara’s other side, eyebrows crinkled in thought. “Hold on – Lena only started acting weird when Mon-el showed up?” Kara only sniffled and nodded in response. “And when you went to kiss her, did it seem like she wanted to kiss you back?”

Kara sobbed harder in response and Alex shot an exasperated look at Maggie. “That’s the thing, I really thought she wanted me to kiss her!” Kara gasped out between sobs. “The way she was looking at me, I felt sure!” Her sobs slowly subsided, although tears were still falling freely from her watery blue eyes. “I was so confident, so…stupid,” she hiccupped sadly.

Alex immediately consoled her sister, but Maggie’s eyes had a faraway look in them and she only hummed in response. Suddenly, the detective stood up. “I have to go somewhere, and I should let the Danvers sisters have some time alone, okay?” She patted Kara’s shoulder and took a moment to caress Alex’s cheek.

Kara sniffled once more. “Bye Maggie. Thanks for coming by.”

Maggie smiled down at the superhero. “Anytime, Kara.”

 

Lena

Lena was sitting at her desk, looking at some of the latest designs R&D had sent up, when her door burst open unexpectedly.

“Ms. Luthor, I’m so sorry! She just ducked right past me – she’s so fast I didn’t even see her,” Jess was quick to apologize for the intrusion.

Lena immediately got up from her seat and crossed the room at the disturbance, mind flashing back to the last time someone super fast had gotten past Jess. This time, however, it wasn’t Kara who burst into her office. No, it was someone much less apologetic and clad in considerably more leather than her last intruder.

“Nice digs, Luthor. I failed to mention that last time. You know, when I came to arrest you,” Maggie said casually.

“I’m not surprised. Most women have trouble articulating their thoughts the moment they get me in cuffs,” Lena shot back drolly. Maggie smiled wickedly at her and Lena allowed a fond smile to cross her face before turning to Jess, who looked scandalized at Lena’s flirtatious tone. “Jess, you can let Detective Sawyer in anytime.” She gave Maggie a semi-stern look and continued, “Although you should apologize for making Jess run after you, Sawyer. You’re wearing boots and she’s in three-inch heels. It was hardly a fair race.”

Maggie had the grace to look properly admonished. “Sorry about that, Jess,” she said apologetically.

“Apology accepted,” Jess smiled politely. “I’ll be right outside, Ms. Luthor.”

“Thank you, Jess,” Lena smiled warmly at her assistant. Neither she nor Maggie missed the suspicious glance Jess cast at them before closing the office door.

Maggie grinned. “She probably thinks I’m trying to give Kara a run for her money.” Lena’s eyes widened momentarily and she felt a pang in her chest at the mention of the very person she had been trying to keep off her mind. If Maggie noticed anything, she didn’t mention it. Instead, she laughed and gave Lena a friendly shove on the shoulder. “You should be so lucky, Luthor.”

Lena rolled her eyes at her friend and scoffed, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. Over the past few weeks, she and Maggie had developed a close, playful friendship. Maggie jokingly said they had a ‘queer connection’ that made them practically qbf’s (queer best friends). The two of them often joke-flirted with each other, enjoying the way it made their Danvers girls get flustered. The pang in her chest returned at the thought of Kara, and Lena internally admonished herself for letting her mind wander once again to the woman that had broken her walls down.

She took a deep breath, hoping that Maggie would offer some distraction from the one person she couldn’t seem to get off her mind. “So what can I help you with today, Sawyer?”

“Kara,” the detective answered straightforwardly, arms crossed as she stood and fixed Lena with an observant stare.

“Oh.” Lena felt her smile drop and suddenly the detective’s gaze felt stifling, heavy. Lena felt her confident façade start to crack and she felt terrified that Maggie could see right through her. She turned around automatically and walked behind her desk, as if that flimsy barrier could protect her from the weight of Maggie’s watchful eyes. Lena took a moment while her back was turned to compose herself, to remember her childhood training to never let anyone see underneath the hard Luthor exterior. When she turned to face Maggie once more, her face was a mask, utterly devoid of any emotion. “What about Kara?” Lena asked. Even to her, her voice sounded like a robot – mechanical, unfeeling.

Maggie’s stare softened and she looked at Lena understandingly. “I know what you’re doing Lena,” she said simply. Lena said nothing. She simply stared back at the detective defiantly, almost challenging her to qualify her statement. The detective sighed. “You’re closing yourself off because you think you might get hurt,” Maggie said. Lena clenched her jaw and looked away, but she didn’t deny anything and Maggie took this as a sign to continue. “I know the signs, Lena. I know because I’ve been exactly where you are, and I did the exact same thing.”

Their eyes met and Lena saw that Maggie was telling the truth. She still didn’t say anything, but Maggie took comfort in the fact that Lena was once again looking at her. “I know it can be scary to open yourself up. It’s new. It feels like jumping off a cliff without knowing how far down the water is.” Lena found herself nodding unconsciously and Maggie smiled at her encouragingly. “But I’ve found that the scariest things in life are also the most rewarding, and there’s no use in going through things alone – especially not when you have someone like Kara.”

Lena was in pain. She heard Maggie’s words, but they went against everything she had ever been taught in life. She was taught by her family that there was strength in individualism, in figuring things out for yourself. After Lex went mad, she had taught herself never to depend on anyone because they would inevitably let her down. And yet ever since she had met Kara, she found herself slowly dismantling this way of thinking, slowly letting herself depend more and more on Kara, on Maggie, on Winn, Alex, and James.

“I – I think you should go,” Lena said hoarsely. Maggie looked disappointed, but nodded her head and turned to leave. She had a hand on the door when Lena called out to her. “Wait!” Maggie looked back at her hopefully, and Lena felt a rush of affection for her new friend. “Thank you. For coming by.”

Maggie smiled softly at her. “Just be honest with her, Lena. Be honest with yourself.”

And then the detective was gone, and Lena was alone. She sank into her chair, a shaking hand coming up to cover her eyes as she thought about what Maggie had said.

……………………………….

It was a few days before she saw Kara again. To distract herself, Lena had thrown herself into her work, staying even later at the office than she usually did, but Kara was never far from her mind. As the days went by with no contact between the two of them, Lena found herself thinking more and more about Maggie’s advice. Just be honest. Slowly, she felt her resolve strengthening. Honesty. It would be painful to tell Kara about her true feelings, but maybe once everything was out in the open, she and Kara could move on and get back to being friends. Because more than anything, Lena missed Kara. She missed their lunches, their texts, their long conversations, their hugs. Lena didn’t think she could take one more day of this divide between the two of them.

Lena picked up her phone and sent out a quick text before her newfound resolve could diminish.

Tomorrow. She would talk to Kara tomorrow.

 

Kara

The city was quiet that night, which Kara was grateful for. She relaxed as she listened to the peaceful sounds of the city at night, the quiet grumble of the few cars that weaved through the labyrinth that was National City’s road network, the wind whistling as it rushed around tall buildings. There had been a downpour earlier, but the sky was clear now, leaving the city with the distinct smell of wet asphalt tinged with petrichor. The stars were in full view from where Kara floated in the sky, high above the effects of light pollution.

It was late in the night, and Kara had been up there for hours. Alex had been hovering over her for the past few days and, while Kara was eternally grateful to her sister for being there for her, Kara found herself needing some time to herself this evening. The pain of Lena’s rejection was still incredibly fresh, and Kara was under no illusion that she would recover anytime soon. Eventually, though…eventually she thought she could get herself back to where she had been with Lena before she had gone and messed everything up. Because the last thing she ever wanted was for her feelings to ruin her relationship with her best friend. No, Lena was way too important to her for that and she would do everything in her power to bring their relationship back on good terms. If Lena would have her back.

The feel of her phone buzzing against her leg brought her out of her reverie and she pulled it out of her boot quickly, thinking that she would only be getting a message this late if it was from the DEO. She was surprised by what she found instead.

 **Lena:** Kara, we need to talk. Call me when you wake up. Please.

Kara stared at her phone in trepidation. Lena wanted to talk. This was a good thing. _Maybe Lena can forgive me and we can go back to being friends._ She felt her hopes rise and couldn’t contain herself. She located Lena’s heartbeat and flew towards the sound as quick as she could.

 

Lena

Lena had barely placed her phone down on her desk when she heard a soft _whoosh_ and thump on her office balcony. She let a quick smile cover her face at her friend’s quick response before remembering what she was going to talk to Kara about and her nerves came back with full force. A knock sounded on her balcony door and Lena looked up to see Kara in full superhero attire, waiting respectfully outside.

Lena took a deep breath. She didn’t expect a response from Kara so soon, but she figured she might as well say what she needed to say now rather than toss and turn about it all night. She gestured at Kara to come in and the superhero immediately pulled open the door and stepped inside, hands clasped in front of her, looking unexpectedly contrite in her supersuit. She looked like she was about to say something, but Lena beat her to it.

“You’re up late,” she said, voice soft.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Kara replied, her voice equally soft. Lena nodded, sensing the unspoken words between them.

“Neither could I,” she said. Kara looked like she was about to say something, but Lena held up a hand to stop her. “Please, just –“ she took a shaky breath. “I have something to say.”

Kara nodded, looking at her sadly with a touch of something akin to regret and…fear? Lena couldn’t quite figure it out, but she forged on with what she had planned to say, afraid that if she didn’t say it now, she would never say it.

“The other day when you –“ _almost kissed me,_ Lena didn’t say. Her throat closed up and she found herself struggling to speak. Never before had she let herself be this vulnerable around another person and it scared her. She closed her eyes, thinking that it would be easier to speak if she wasn’t looking at Kara. She took a deep breath and willed herself to continue. “I – I was hurt, Kara. And I reacted badly and you don’t deserve that. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings when I snapped at you, but I…I can’t do this anymore.”

She heard Kara take a shaky breath and opened her eyes to look at her friend. Kara was looking back at her, moisture gathering in her beautiful blue eyes and lip trembling as she spoke. “Lena are you – you can’t do… _this_ anymore?”

Lena’s heart ached as she looked at her friend – her best friend. She wanted nothing more than to walk over to Kara, to hug her and wipe away her tears. She hated herself for making Kara cry.

“I can’t pretend to be your girlfriend anymore, Kara. It’s too hard,” Lena looked down at her desk, unable to look Kara in the eyes as she prepared herself to bare her heart. “You’re my best friend, Kara. And I don’t want to lose you. But I have to be honest with you if we’re going to get past this, and I just –“ Lena paused for a moment to steel herself. She held her head high, but her eyes were on her desk. She felt like a coward for her inability to look Kara in the eye, but she didn’t want to see Kara’s inevitable look of pity at her next words. “You’re…more than a best friend to me. I’ve fallen for you Kara.” Another deep breath. “I've fallen in love with you.”

Lena felt her face heat up – _really, Luthor? Are you seriously blushing like a schoolgirl right now? –_ and was vaguely aware of Kara’s gasp of surprise at her words. Even without looking at her friend, she knew Kara was about to say something, but she held up a hand to stop her. Lena was afraid that if she didn’t get everything out in one go, she would never have the courage to say anything again.

“Please, just – I need to get everything out. I’ve enjoyed the way we’ve been lately. A little too much. And sometimes when you look at me, I get it into my head that you maybe feel the same way, but that’s not fair to you. And then the other day, I thought you were about to kiss me because you felt something for me, but when Mon-El showed up I realized…” Lena trailed off, it was still too painful to put that particular realization into words. She added quickly, “It’s not your fault Kara. I’m not blaming you, this whole thing is completely on me and it’s my problem to deal with. It’s just - You’re a really good actor Kara,” Lena said as she shuffled papers around her desk, masterfully avoiding Kara’s gaze. “Very convincing.” She wanted to say more, but she felt her throat closing in, heard her voice getting raspier, felt a prickling in the backs of her eyes. She won’t start crying, she _won’t._ She was so focused on keeping her eyes away from Kara, on holding back the tears that threatened to fall, on trying to keep herself from falling apart that she almost didn’t hear what Kara said next.

“See that’s the thing. I’m really not,” Kara’s voice was tender. “I’m not a good actor, I can never keep a straight face.”

Lena heard Kara’s words as if they were coming from far away. What was Kara saying? She felt a tiny spark of hope within her, enough to make her look up - although she couldn’t bring herself to look Kara in the eye, instead choosing to focus on Kara’s collar, where her cape met her suit. She wanted so badly to reach over and run her hands over the tough red material, or better yet, to grab it and pull Kara closer to her.

As if reading her mind, Kara took a step towards her. She was now standing right in front of Lena, trying to catch her eye. Lena steadfastly refused to move her gaze away from Kara’s shoulder.

“Lena, I –“ Kara stopped and took a breath. She reached out and gently placed her hand under Lena’s chin, lifting it so that the brunette had no choice but to look her in the eye. Lena gasped. Suddenly, all Lena could see was the blue in Kara’s eyes. All she could hear was her own heartbeat hammering wildly in her chest. All she could feel was the soft touch of Kara’s fingers on her skin. Her mind flashed back to the last time they had been this close and a part of her mind realized that Kara was looking at her then the same way she was looking at her now – tenderly, lovingly, _honestly._

“Lena, I wasn’t acting,” Kara said gently.

And then Kara’s lips were on hers, tentative and soft. Lena’s mind went completely blank. Her reaction was purely instinctual as she reached one hand up to cup the back of Kara’s neck and pull her closer, the other gripping tightly onto the tough material of Kara’s cape, as if to ground her to this new reality she suddenly found herself in, where Kara was _kissing_ her. Kara was kissing her, caressing her jaw softly as their mouths melded together easily, perfectly, as if this was the hundredth time they had done this and not the first.

Much too soon, they separated, although neither of them went far. Kara rested her forehead on Lena’s, their hard breaths intermingling in the space between them.

“Was that – was that okay?” Kara asked breathlessly.

Lena slowly opened her eyes, taking in the sight of Kara so close to her. She let her eyes roam all over Kara’s perfect face, committing this moment to memory. Emerald eyes finally landed on blue ones as Lena smiled sweetly up at the woman she loved.

“Kara Danvers, that was perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then they lived happily ever after....the slow burn is OVER!
> 
> So I'm toying with the idea of just ending this story where it is...if I continued it, it might just be as a series of one-shots that follow Kara and Lena in their relationship-y bliss. Or I could continue along as I've been doing, but I would probably have to be hit with some serious inspiration for that to happen (apparently I can only write angst and longing). What do you guys think?
> 
> Regardless of what I end up doing, I've had a lot of fun writing this story and I quite like the way it's turned out. Thanks everyone for reading and letting me know what you think of it (please continue to do so, I love positive affirmation). If you like my writing style and want some more, hit me up with a prompt - whether it's something you want for this storyline or something completely new!
> 
> Cheers everyone.


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